Maybe Angels
by the1koolkitty
Summary: Sequel to Let Me Fall: HPYGO Crossover. New, exciting things await for Harry, Diana and their friends for their upcoming year at Hogwarts...but something wicked this way comes...
1. Author's Note

**Maybe Angels:**

_The Harry Potter Books, Revised with an Original Character and the Yu-Gi-Oh! Cast_

_**Book Four: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire**_

Disclaimer from Kitty:

You have probably guessed I own neither Harry Potter nor Yu-Gi-Oh, which is true. This, you probably also have guessed, is the sequel to _Let Me Fall_, my version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and you would be right in that as well. The only chars I have any ownership in are Dare, Kara and Kitty (who is technically moi): Melisanne is the property of SGCred. There WILL be some more romance in this story, but there shall be much conflict too. But, as you seem to be good at guessing games, you're sure to guess that I have little reason to write stories unless people are reading it and they tell me what they think, SO PLEASE R&R!


	2. Chapter 1: Every Day is a Winding Road

**Kitty: (singing the Phantom of the Opera) _In sleep he sang to me...in dreams he came..._**

**Yugi: (peeks into Kitty's room) Sorry to interrupt your beautiful singing, Kitty Kat...but your mum wanted to ask if you have everything ready to go up to New York and see Phantom on Wednesday.**

**Kitty: Yep! The first chapter's all done, I made Dad a father's day card and, of course, my outfit's all picked out...not exactly like the design I had first drawn, but hey...I'm not a fashion designer.**

**Yugi: (shrugs) True enough...even though the dress you designed would've be sexy with an SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. (nibbles on Kitty's ear)**

**Kitty: (giggles) I love you too, dear. (types on her keyboard and clicks her mouse) R&R, guys!**

**

* * *

**_**Chapter One:**_

_**Every Day is a Winding Road**_

The sun had risen to signal the start of a new day at the Burrow, home of the Weasley family and temporary place of rest for Diana Randall and her friend Hermione Granger.

Diana and Hermione had been sleeping on the floor of Ginny's room while the youngest Weasley herself slept on her bed (a hand-me-down from her older brother and Diana's friend Ron), all looking like they were in a never-ending, enchanted sleep.

It was only when Mrs. Weasley's voice echoed up the stairs from the kitchen that the three girls showed any signs of life.

"Breakfast, everyone! Time to get up!"

Hermione brushed her messy brown curls out of her face and pushed her blankets off to get up: Ginny groaned as she sat up and rubbed her eyes: Diana, however, snorted loudly, turned over and went back to sleep.

"Today's the day Harry, Yugi and the others are arriving, so hurry and get ready!" added Mrs. Weasley to try and get them to speed it up.

Harry Potter was another one of Diana's friends: he lived with his Muggle family, the Dursleys, and was known as "The Boy Who Lived," because, as a baby, he was the only person ever to survive an attack from the evil Lord Voldemort, who had killed not only his parents but Diana's mother as well.

Yugi Mutou, Ryou Bakura, Marik Ishtar and Seto and Mokuba Kaiba were the last five in the group of magical friends: they lived in Domino, Japan, and flew over every fall to study at Hogwarts with Diana, Ron, Harry and Hermione. They were all in fourth year and turning 17 years old, except for Mokuba, who was to start his second year and was at the normal incoming age of 12. Yugi, Ryou and Seto also owned Millennium Items that held spirits from ancient Egypt (Pharaoh Atem, Tomb Robber Bakura and High Priest Seth, respectively), who were often prone to take over their bodies or appear beside them in spirit form to hang out with them and their friends.

At Mrs. Weasley's words, Diana got up, stretched and sighed loudly.

"Why does your mother always know what to say to get me up?" she muttered to Ginny, smiling slightly.

"Because you're here so often you're _already_ practically family," Ginny teased back, "If your hair hadn't been red when you were first born, it definitely would've changed it by now after all the times you've visited us."

Diana smirked, slipped into a pair of slippers and ran downstairs to the kitchen with Hermione and Ginny.

Diana Randall was a girl who you could meet once and know in an instant that she was different, and the feeling wasn't just brought about by her sleep attire of boxers and Quidditch T-shirts compared to Hermione and Ginny's more feminine nightwear. She was the Heir of Artemis, an evil half-vampire sorceress from Ancient Egypt who had sealed herself in her bloodline to escape from a group of rebels led by Atem, and who now once a month possessed Diana to feed on blood.

Diana sat down at the Weasley table with Ginny and Hermione, to see Ron, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie and Mr. Weasley already seated around it. Mrs. Weasley was checking on some eggs and sausage in a frying pan levitated above the stove.

Bill and Charlie were the oldest of the Weasley children, and they were visiting the rest of their family for the Quidditch World Cup. Bill was a curse-breaker for the Gringotts in Egypt, where the Weasleys and Diana had gone on vacation the year before: he was tall like Percy and Ron and, even though he had been Head Boy at school, he was cool with his red hair tied back in a ponytail, punk rock clothes that Diana wished she could borrow and a dragon fang earring dangling from his right ear. Charlie worked in Romania with dragons, including Norbert, the baby dragon that had once belonged to the Hogwarts gamekeeper, Hagrid: he was more on the stocky side like Fred and George and, like Bill, had an adventurous look to him, even though his hair was short and his more casual clothes were accompanied by deep scars and burns instead of punk jewelry. Indeed, Diana got along pretty well with them and hoped to see more of them.

"Morning," greeted Diana.

"Where's Percy?" inquired Hermione, looking around the table for the only missing Weasley, "Is he still working?"

Ron gave a short, derisive laugh. "Do I still have _freckles_? Of _course_ he is."

Percy had just graduated from Hogwarts last year and was taking his new job very seriously indeed. He was rarely seen out of his room: in fact, the only time Diana had seen him in the two days she'd been at the Burrow, she'd only seen him at dinner and when he opened his door to shout at people for making any noise outside his room. Diana at first wondered if Percy had cracked, before reminding herself that Percy, the way he was before and at school, kind of _had_ to grow up to be such a sniping person.

"You'd _think_ he'd have heard that too much work isn't good for you," Bill commented good-naturedly.

"Nah…he doesn't hear _anything_ but what Crouch the Grouch tells him," joked Fred.

Mr. Crouch was Percy's new boss: he was the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and he seemed never to be happy. Percy, however, acted like there was no one more honorable in the world, so, naturally, he didn't like it when Ginny first started calling him _"Crouch the Grouch"_ and Diana and the other Weasleys soon adopted the nickname.

"Now, _now_, Fred," Mrs. Weasley reproached, "Don't insult people in the Ministry…Mr. Crouch is much older and talented than you and you shouldn't tease him behind his back."

"No more wrong than talking about Lucius Malfoy and them," muttered Diana, "Then again, those bastards deserve every word we say about them."

"Amen," said Ron and the twins in unison.

The Malfoys were a pureblood wizard family like the Weasleys, but, unlike the Weasleys, they were probably the least pleasant people you could ever meet. Not only did they call anyone who wasn't of wizard blood like Hermione and the Japanese boys _"Mudbloods," _they were more likely than not allies of Voldemort when he was powerful. They were never accused of being with Voldemort, but they had lots of money and many connections: anyone could put two and two together and see that they used their wealth to get off the hook. Draco Malfoy, the most recent heir of the Malfoy family, was in Diana's year, and the two detested each other quite a bit.

Mrs. Weasley obviously didn't like Diana's choice of language for the Malfoys, but right then Percy Apparated to the foot of the stairs with a faint _pop_ and walked over to the table as if he were a lord gracing the servants with his presence.

"Morning," he addressed them loftily as he sat down.

"What were you working on so early in the morning, Perce?" asked Charlie.

"A report on that dragon dung you found in your mailbox the other day?" George inquired, grinning broadly.

Percy's ears went red, but his voice still rang with forceful dignity. "That was a manure sample from Norway! It wasn't anything _personal_!"

Diana tried to hold back a smile at the thought it actually _had_ been personal, since Fred and George had sent it.

Percy snorted in sophisticated disapproval. "And _no_, that _wasn't_ what I was working on. It was a _very_ important report on cauldron thickness for Mr. Crouch: leakages on imported cauldrons have been increasing at a rate of almost three percent a year-"

"_Oh_, that'll be on the front _page_, that will," Ron said sarcastically, "_'Extra, Extra, read all about it: cauldron leaks.'_"

Percy glared at Ron, the shade of his ears turning maroon. Mrs. Weasley bonked Ron on the head.

"_OW_! _Mum_, what was _that_ for?"

"Don't tease your brother," the plump woman snapped, "He works _very_ hard, and you're _not_ helping."

"Yeah, Ron," Diana teased, "He needs his energy to stay awake long enough to follow Crouch the Grouch's instructions…_OW_!"

Mrs. Weasley had bonked her on the head as well.

* * *

They were running late: even after waking up early and everything, they were _still_ a half-hour late. Diana didn't know how the Weasleys managed this, but it was always one thing or another that made them wait _"just a little bit longer" _before departing. 

It had been decided it would be her, Ron, Hermione, Mr. Weasley, Fred and George to pick up Harry at the Dursleys, reasoning that he would need help with his luggage, he'd want to see his friends after a long summer and there should be a parent to meet with the Dursleys to assure them everything would be alright.

Diana and Hermione had been waiting by the fireplace for quite a while before Mr. Weasley, the twins and Ron finally announced themselves ready. Diana had a vein popping in her temple and was very impatient to get going: even Hermione looked a bit annoyed for being so late.

At last Diana took some Floo powder, went into the fireplace and vanished with a flash of green flames and a shout of "Number 4, Privet Drive!"

Diana glided around for a few minutes, waiting for the proper grate…

Then suddenly found herself in pitch darkness.

"What the _hell_…?" she muttered.

She felt around, to find the bricks of an ordinary fireplace…but there was no exit anywhere for her to get out into the house.

Then, out of nowhere, Diana felt someone land on her.

"_OW_!" she and another voice cried.

"Mione, is that you?"

"Uh-huh. What's going on?"

"I can't get out-"

"_OW_!"

Someone else had fallen on top of them.

"What's going on?" asked Ron's voice, "Did we get out at the wrong grate?"

"Dunno," Diana replied, "Hold up…" she raised her voice and called, "_HARRY_! HARRY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? IT'S DARE!"

"_OW_!"

Two thumps were heard as Fred and George fell onto Ron.

"Quaint place, ain't it?" joked Fred.

"Cozy," agreed George.

It was then Diana heard voices outside the fireplace.

"What is this?" demanded an angry male voice, "What's going on?"

"They…they've tried to get here by Floo powder…" she heard Harry, his voice choked back with laughter, "They can travel by fire…only you've blocked the fireplace…"

"_OW_!"

Mr. Weasley had joined them.

"Why'd they block the fireplace, Harry?" Diana inquired, in a lot of pain thanks to the five people on top of her.

"They've got an electric fire!" Harry shouted back.

"Really?" asked the voice of Mr. Weasley, "_Eclectic_, you say? With a _plug_? This I've _got_ to see-"

"Not to _push_ you, Mr. Weasley," Diana hissed, "But I'm really _hurting_ down here with you guys all on my back…SO OPEN UP THE DAMN FIREPLACE AND GET YOUR ASSES OFF ME, WILL YOU?"

"Uh…right," muttered Mr. Weasley, "Stand back, Harry!"

There was a rustling.

"Wait a second!" said the male voice, "What exactly are you going to-?"

_BANG_!

Diana felt herself being thrown forward in a mess of wood and ash: the Muggles cried out as they jumped back from the fireplace: Mr. Weasley got up, brushed himself off and wiped his glasses clean on his robes.

"That's better," panted Mr. Weasley, before looking up at the Dursleys, "_Ah_…you must be Harry's aunt and uncle! I'm Arthur Weasley."

Diana got up slowly, her back still sore, and eyed the ash-covered Dursleys.

By Harry's aunt and uncle, she guessed that the Dursleys were like a family styled after _"Leave It to Beaver"_: Harry's aunt, Petunia Dursley, was tall and bony with blond hair and a neck like a giraffe, and her husband, Vernon Dursley, was short and plump with a bushy black mustache. Mr. and Mrs. Dursleys' son Dudley, however, looked nothing like Diana had seen on any Muggle TV show: she'd never seen anyone so fat in her entire life. His hair was blond like his mother's and lay flat on his head like an old man's toupee, his blue eyes were very small and his face was round and pink: the silliest thing about him, though, was the terrified look in his eyes as he stared at her, Hermione and the Weasleys. It seemed ridiculous to think that her baggy-clothed, black-haired, green-eyed friend even _knew_ these people, let alone was _related_ to them.

Mr. Weasley started to apologize to the Dursleys for the mess and tried to explain that he had gotten the Floo Network to connect the Dursley fireplace for a day to pick up Harry, and Artemis's Heir took this opportunity to give Harry a hug, which earned a beady look from Mr. Dursley.

"How you doing, mate?" she asked him.

"Alright," answered Harry, "Are Yugi and the others there yet?"

"No," said Diana, "They'll be coming later tonight: I think Seto's bringing out one of his jet-limo packages."

Hermione came over, gave Harry a hug too.

"Did you get the cakes and stuff we sent you?" Ron muttered.

Harry grinned. "You all saved my life with those things…Dudley's new school diet would've _killed_ me…I think it's already killing _him_."

Harry had written letters to them toward the beginning of the summer telling them that Dudley was now being forced to follow a strict school diet made by the school nurse since he could no longer fit in any of the uniform sizes the school provided, and that Mrs. Dursley, in an attempt to make Dudley feel better, was making everyone else follow the diet too. This wouldn't be a problem for plump Mr. Dursley or even well fed Mrs. Dursley, but for the skinny, often underfed Harry, the diet could be big trouble. Of course, the Dursleys wouldn't stop something in their lives for Harry, so Diana went out and bought all sorts of magical sweets that Harry could hide up in his room and eat while the Dursleys weren't around. From what she'd heard, Mrs. Weasley had cooked a nice amount of delicious stuff as well, and Hermione had sent over a basket of stuff too. Then on Harry's birthday, he'd gotten five birthday cakes: one each from the Weasleys, Diana, Hermione, his ex-convict godfather, Sirius, and the Japanese boys.

"Where's your trunk, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked brightly, naïve to the conversation the friends had been having.

"Upstairs."

"We'll get it!" offered Fred and George in unison, before running up the set of stairs to Harry's room.

There was a silence in which Diana was trying to hold back laughter: Dudley's eyes were wide as he stared at them and clutched his bottom as though he thought it might fall off.

"We're not going to _hurt_ you, you know," Hermione said to Dudley kindly, "My parents aren't magic either."

"Yeah, she's right, we won't _hurt_ you," Diana assented with a Cheshire cat grin, "We just might keep you from leaving the _house_ for a few days."

"_Dare_!" Hermione reproached: Dudley squealed and jumped behind the couch in fright.

Diana sweatdropped. "_Merlin_, Mione…I was just _kidding_…even though he _would_ deserve something nasty after all the times he's bullied Harry," she added as an afterthought.

"_Diana_," scolded Mr. Weasley, "That's _enough_."

Fred and George came down right then carrying Harry's trunk, grinning identical evil grins at the sight of Dudley behind the couch.

"Alright!" Mr. Weasley's voice became bright once more as he pushed up his sleeves, pointed his wand at the fireplace and cast the spell "_Incendio_!" to make the fireplace alight with flames.

"You with the trunk first, Fred," said Mr. Weasley.

"Coming!" replied Fred, "Oh no…hang on…"

A bag of brightly wrapped toffees had spilled out of his pocket, and Fred scrambled around to scoop the contents back in. Ron, Hermione and Diana's eyes widened at the sight of the sweets, and they looked at each other. Hermione looked concerned and Ron looked ready to laugh: Diana just wanted to get out before she got blamed for Fred's actions.

This summer, the other Weasleys had learned Fred and George had started planning to establish their own joke shop after they graduated. They'd already created all sorts of stuff, like joke wands and trick sweets…and Mrs. Weasley wasn't pleased when she learned that they were going to _"throw their lives away" _on a joke shop rather than work for the Ministry. Diana thought Fred and George's stuff was really cool, but when she recognized the sweet Fred had dropped as a Ton-Tongue Toffee, she knew Mrs. Weasley was going to have a fit when she found out.

Fred had grabbed the trunk and gotten into the fireplace, tossed some Floo Powder from Mr. Weasley's bag into the flames, shouted, "The Burrow!" and disappeared.

"I-I think I'll go next, Mr. Weasley," stated Hermione, taking the Floo Powder from the bag, looking worriedly back at the Dursleys, and following Fred's example of vanishing with a cry of "The Burrow!"

As soon as Hermione had vanished and Diana was ready to grab some Floo Powder herself, there was a horrible gagging sound: Dudley, as Hermione, Ron and she had predicted he would, had picked up one of the Ton-Tongue Toffees that Fred_ "accidentally"_ left behind, and his tongue was now a foot long, purple and slimy-looking.

Harry looked shocked; Mrs. Dursley was squealing at the sight of her precious boy being jinxed; Mr. Weasley was frozen in place, scandalized; Ron and George were trying to hold back their laughter.

"Uh…me next!" Diana said quickly, brushing past Mr. Weasley into the fireplace and throwing the powder into the flames, "THE BURROW!"

And she felt herself disappear once more and travel through the Floo Network back toward the Burrow.

* * *

**Harry: (enters) Hey Kitty, did you post the chapter? Atem wanted to know if- (stops abruptly)  
**

**(Yugi and Kitty are snogging madly in front of the computer)**

**Harry: Uh...AHEM.**

**Kitty: (pulls away from Yugi) Yeah, Harry-kun? What's going on?**

**Harry: (sweatdrop) Atem just wanted to know if he'd have to dress up too for when you guys go up to see it.**

**Yugi: No: delving into my Kitten's mind and making her sing is my job. I'll do the dressing up...hell, I dressed up as Erik for Halloween, it'd be easy to wear the mask and black leather for it. **

**Kitty: The mask makes you look hot, you know. Of course, you look hot anyway.**

**Yugi: (kisses Kitty's forehead)**

**Harry: (sweatdrop) I'm getting out of here before they get intimate again... (to audience) R&R, guys! **


	3. Chapter 2: The Second Set of Arrivals

**Kitty: Figured I should post one more chapter befoe Phantom...**

**Yugi: And I'm sure it's wonderful, Kitten.**

**Atem: (comes into Kitty's room) Hey, Neko-chan, Yugi...what's up?**

**Kitty: (looks at Atem suspiciously) What are _you _doing here?**

**Atem: Huh?**

**Kitty: Didn't you go back to your precious Egypt and LEAVE?**

**Atem: Well, I, uh...**

**Kitty: It was SO important for you to rest in peace that you went off to the underworld and LEFT YOUR FRIENDS BEHIND!**

**Atem: Kitty, it's just the show-**

**Kitty: WHICH IS ABOUT YOU! WHY THE FUCK DID YOU LEAVE? YOU THINK WE'RE NOT BLOODY IMPORTANT? (sobs into her pillows)**

**Atem: NO! No, of _course _not!**

**Yugi: (sigh) R&R, guys and gals!

* * *

**

_** Chapter Two:**_

_**The Second Set of Arrivals**_

When Diana fell through the Weasley fireplace back into the Burrow, Hermione helped her up, and Fred eagerly asked, "Did he eat it?"

"Yes," Diana replied, brushing herself off and trying not to smile, "Your mum is going to _murder_ you when she finds out."

"You mean _if_ she finds out," Fred corrected with a wide grin, "And are either of _you_ going to tell her?"

"No," started Hermione, "But that really doesn't _matter_, she still-"

Right then, George rolled out of the fireplace, roaring with laughter.

"Oh Fred, you should've _seen_ him…his tongue was almost _four feet long_!"

"Weasleys 1, Muggle _zip_!" laughed Fred, high-fiving his twin.

Ron popped out of the fireplace too, snickering madly.

"That was _brilliant_, you two. Well done."

"Don't _encourage_ them!" said Hermione, "Your dad _works_ with Muggles-"

"And even by _his_ standards, Dudley is a jerk," Diana cut her off, "He was being polite because they're related to _Harry_, not because they're _nice_."

As if on cue, Harry joined them outside the fireplace.

"What _was_ that thing?" he inquired, looking a bit overwhelmed.

"Ton-Tongue Toffee," George answered proudly, "Fred and I made 'em, but we couldn't test it on anyone…I'd say our first run was successful, eh?"

Harry laughed. "Wicked."

There was a faint _pop_ that announced the apparition arrival of Mr. Weasley: he definitely looked mad.

"That _wasn't funny_, Fred!" he shouted, "What on _earth_ did you give that Muggle boy?"

"I didn't _give_ him anything," Fred answered innocently, "I just _dropped_ it…it's his own fault he went over and picked it up."

"You dropped it on _purpose_!" roared Mr. Weasley, "You _knew_ he'd eat it, you _knew_ he was on a diet-"

"Because his parents didn't know how to feed him properly and spoiled him endlessly while Harry was getting bullied and underfed," interrupted Diana, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder and looking annoyed, "He _deserved_ it."

"The way they run _their_ lives is none of _our_ business!" Mr. Weasley snapped, "This is _exactly_ the sort of thing that _undermines_ wizard-Muggle relations! I spend half my _life_ campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own _sons_-"

"We didn't give it to him because he was a _Muggle_!" interjected Fred.

"We gave it to him because he was a bullying toe-rag," George added.

"That's not the _point_!" said Mr. Weasley, "You wait 'til I tell your mother-"

"Tell me what?" asked a voice behind them.

Mrs. Weasley had just entered, looking suspicious.

"Oh hello, Harry dear," she greeted when she spotted Harry, smiling at him before turning back to her husband, "Tell me _what_, Arthur?"

Mr. Weasley deflated and didn't reply. Diana and Ron grinned: they knew very well Mr. Weasley hadn't _actually_ intended to tell Mrs. Weasley, no matter _how_ angry he was with Fred and George. Mrs. Weasley, when angry, often resembled a saber-toothed tiger in temperament.

Ginny entered after Mrs. Weasley: she went red at the sight of Harry, since she had had an obvious crush on him ever since before he saved her life in her first year, but they still exchanged smiles.

"Tell me _what_, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley repeated, more dangerously.

"I-it's nothing, Molly," mumbled Mr. Weasley, "Fred and George just…but I-I've had a word with them…"

"What have they done _this_ time?" demanded Mrs. Weasley, "If this has something to do with that _joke__shop_ idea of theirs-"

"Um…why don't we go on outside and wait for Seto and the others to arrive?" Hermione suggested quickly.

"Good idea," Diana assented and added pointedly to a confused-looking Ron, "We can _all_ go."

"Uh…yeah!" agreed Ron, catching on, "Right."

"We'll come too!" the twins said in unison.

"_You two stay where you are_!" snarled Mrs. Weasley, before adding more kindly to the others, "You all go on ahead."

With that gesture, Diana, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny edged out the backdoor and walked around the garden to get to the gate leading to the front of the Burrow. On the way, they noticed Hermione's fluffy ginger cat, Crookshanks, chasing a couple of garden gnomes like mice, and Bill and Charlie smashing the two dinner tables against each other as if they were wrestlers in an official ring.

"Did you get the letters Ryou sent?" Diana asked Harry as they stood out front and waited for their Japanese friends to arrive.

"Yeah," Harry grinned, "Yugi and Kitty tied the knot…_wow_."

"I just wish we could've gone over and seen the wedding," commented Hermione, "But I'm sure it was beautiful."

Yugi and his girlfriend, Kitty Carson, had gotten married over the summer. Ryou had taken up the job of writing to the British kids with updates while the two were on their honeymoon in New York City. During that time, Atem had been staying with him and Bakura, and the two Yamis' loathing for each other only magnified after the wedding: according to Ryou, Atem threw the bridal bouquet to Bakura, and people started asking the Tomb Robber who the "lucky man" was.

"Now all we need is for Seto and Melisanne to get hitched," Ron said with a smirk, "Any idea when those two are getting married?"

"You know how Seto is, Ron," stated Hermione, "He's a control freak. He _always_ wants things completely under control. He's going to take a _lot_ more time to propose than Yugi did."

Ron snorted. "Yugi and Kitty took _forever_, are you _kidding_? I mean, they knew each other for at least three _years_!"

"Mum and Dad married pretty quickly," pointed out Ginny, "Of course, it was around the time You-Know-Who was at his strongest, so who could _blame_ them? You never knew which day was your _last_."

"'_No day but today,'_" quoted Diana.

While in New York, Kitty had introduced the others to a hot new musical that had opened about two or three years ago called RENT: it was centered on a year in the lives of nine Bohemian friends, a year which included many songs, injustice, unorthodox careers, complex relationships, good friends, death and a lot of love. Diana immediately was hooked, adoring the rock and roll music and the central idea of living your life to the fullest.

Then, as if on cue to Diana's quotation, a voice responded with a gruff **_"525,600 minutes…how do you measure, measure a year?"_**

"Bakura!"

Diana ran over and glomped her friend as he climbed out of the backseat of Kaiba's limo, making him fall backward onto the side of the car.

He laughed as he hugged her back. "Good to see you too, Dare-chan."

"Good to hang out with people _besides_ this stupid Tomb Robber!" growled Atem, appearing in his spirit form as Yugi got out of the other door of the backseat, "He's been driving me _insane_!"

"You _deserved_ it, baka," snapped Bakura.

Mokuba, Seto and Marik climbed out of the car as well, and the youngest Kaiba brother went over and gave his British friends big hugs.

"_Man_, this summer was the _longest_ of my _life_!" moaned Mokuba, "I don't know how Seto-sama _stands_ this, being away from you guys so long!"

His Puffskein Cyrus cooed in agreement from the cage in his hand.

Seto smiled at his little brother. "Oh come now, Mokuba-chan…you had too much going on for you to have been bored…Yugi-kun's wedding, of course, and all of the enchantments we used to set up Kaiba Land."

"Enchantments?" repeated Ginny in surprise, "But I thought your parents-"

"Our parents are _dead_, Ginny-chan," Seto corrected her with a smile, "And they and our step-father were Muggles. But since you have to be 17 to come of age in the Wizarding world, Yugi, Marik, Ryou-kun and I are full-fledged wizards now."

"Oh yeah, that's right!" said Hermione, smiling, "Congratulations!"

Yugi smirked. "Wouldn't congratulate us right _now_, Mione-kun. Ryou-kun and I still haven't been able to Yami-proof our wands…we can only imagine what kind of chaos would ensue if Atem-kun and Bakura were able to cast any spell they wanted on each other."

Ron, Harry and Hermione laughed. Bakura muttered something under his breath: all Diana could hear of it was _"deserves it"_ and _"lucky man."_

"_Ah_, they're here!"

Mrs. Weasley had come outside to receive the Japanese boys. Mr. Weasley followed after her, looking relieved: likely she had just gotten to the pinnacle of her yelling when she saw that the Kaiba limo had arrived.

"Welcome, all of you," she greeted, giving a hug to each of the fourth-year Japanese boys. When she noticed Mokuba, she added, "_Oh_, you must be Seto's little brother! Mokuba, right?"

"Hai," Mokuba answered nervously: obviously with Mrs. Weasley's very friendly appearance, he was worried she might be the type to pinch cheeks.

Mrs. Weasley didn't pinch his cheeks, however, instead giving him a hug too and saying, "_Delighted_ to meet you, dear. I'm sure you all are _very_ hungry from your trip…I'm almost done with dinner, so you can go on out back and tell Bill and Charlie to stop banging the tables against each other and help set them up for everyone."

So Ginny opened the gate to the garden and the others followed her into it. After they finally were able to yell over the banging of the tables, Bill and Charlie enchanted them back onto the ground and the group started to set it.

Dinner was delicious: the tables were covered with dishes and dishes of chicken, ham pie, boiled potatoes, salad, butterbeer, wine, steak and kidney pudding and three types of stew, and after dinner, Mrs. Weasley still had enough homemade strawberry ice cream for everyone to take three helpings. It was amazing that Mrs. Weasley had made enough good food for her husband, her seven children, the five Japanese boys, Hermione, Diana and Harry, but she had, and all of them were very happy and full indeed by the time they went to bed.

Hermione and Diana slept in Ginny's room again, Harry slept in Ron's room, Bill and Charlie slept with Percy and the twins, respectively, and the Japanese boys slept in the backseat of the limo, which Seto had enchanted to enlarge into a comfortable, hotel-like room with five beds.

"Weasley-san is _really_ nice," Mokuba said with a big grin on his face as he lay down in bed, "And her food's _great_. Can we hire her to make food for us, Seto-sama?"

"No, Mokuba-chan," Seto muttered without looking up from his hardback version of _The Communist Manifesto_, "Best to have that kind of food sparingly: otherwise we'd grow as fat as Harry-kun's cousin."

The others chuckled.

"Well, good night, everyone," said Ryou, "Early start tomorrow for the World Cup."

"Right," assented Marik, "Don't stay up too late, Kaiba-kun…I don't reckon Karl Marx ever wrote that people following his system have to stay up at all hours of the night."

Seto smirked. "If you _knew_ Karl Marx, Marik-kun, you'd know that calling me Communist would be stupid. Communism means everyone is treated the _same_, and since when have _I_ ever treated everyone the same?"

"I think you _do_, Kaiba-kun," contended Marik, "You treat everyone in the same rude way: like they're losers and don't deserve to kiss your _feet_, let alone _duel_ you."

Yugi and Ryou laughed: even Seto chuckled.

"Most of them _are_ losers…but _whatever_, Marik-kun. Goodnight."

"Goodnight!" the others replied in unison.

And Ryou turned off the light.

* * *

**Yugi: And that is that.**

**Kitty: (still crying into her pillow)**

**Atem: Kitty, it's just the _show_...I'm still _here_, you know...the writers just wanted to find a way to end the _series_, that's all!**

**Kitty: (sniff) Really?**

**Atem: Really. I'm not leaving.**

**Kitty: Really really?**

**Atem: (nods) Really really.  
**

**Kitty: YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! (glomps Atem) **

**Yugi: (grins broadly) Now that you've promised, you know you'll have to help with the baby in future fics.**

**Atem: (sighs) The price to keep your girl happy, Yugi-kun... (turns to audience) R&R!**


	4. Chapter 3: Traveling by Portkey

**Kitty: (is extremely cheerful) I'm back from Phantom! **

**Yugi: And it was awesome.**

**Kitty: Awesome times forever, if you ask me! If any of you get the chance to see it, do! You won't be disappointed!**

**Yugi: And you were gorgeous there, my Kitten.**

**Kitty: (kisses Yugi's cheek) Sweetheart.**

**Lina: (enters) Uh...Kitty?**

**Kitty: Yeah?**

**Lina: There's this guy at the door for you.**

**Kitty: Okay, I'll be right there...Lina, will you post the chapter for me?**

**Lina: (sighs) Fine, Hikari. **

**(Kitty leaves)**

**Yugi: Have you read the chapter yet?**

**Lina: Nope.**

**Yugi: Might as well read it now, then. **

**Lina: (shrugs and posts the chapter) R&R!**

**

* * *

**_**Chapter Three:**_

_**Traveling by Portkey**_

Even though Diana and her friends went to bed very early and logically got enough hours of sleep, when Mrs. Weasley came to wake them all up the next morning, it still felt like they hadn't slept at all.

"_Nine hours_?" moaned Ron when his mother shook him awake, "You call _that_ nine hours? More like nine _minutes_…"

His friends felt similarly: Ginny, Hermione and the fourth-year Japanese boys, however, didn't complain about it, the Japanese boys because they were guests and the two girls because they had other issues on the mind.

"_Oh_, what am I going to _wear_?" Ginny whined, wringing her medium-length red hair in aggravation, "I can't wear something _ordinary_ for the _Quidditch_ _World Cup_…we _never_ get to go to these things!"

"Shouldn't we wear green or something?" asked Hermione, "Since we're supporting Ireland…"

"Red or green, take your pick," muttered Diana, "Don't forget, Bulgaria's playing too, and they've got an 18 year old prodigy as their Seeker. I know Ron will be supporting Bulgaria, anyway…he's obsessed with Krum."

"_Obsessed_?" repeated Ginny scornfully as she filtered through some shirts to find something green, "I think he's in _love_. But Ireland has the best Chasers in the world on _Firebolts_: no _way_ are they going to lose."

It was amazing how different each of the girls looked despite the colors they chose. Ginny had a green tank-top with the words _"The Luck of the Irish,"_ in fancy gold lettering, green camouflage shorts, gold sandals and her hair tied in two low braids with green ribbons. Hermione was wearing a lime short-sleeved shirt with a four-leaf clover in the top right corner, a medium-length olive skirt and black slipper-like shoes. Finally Diana wore a short-sleeved black top with a large red star in the middle, ragged black capris, red sneakers and a red-and-black baseball cap.

When they came downstairs, they saw that each of the boys was wearing either red or green too.

The twins seemed intent on confusing everyone even more than usual: Fred wore a green shirt with the letter _"G"_ that obviously belonged to George and George had picked a red shirt with the letter _"F"_ that obviously belonged to Fred. Ron had a baggy red T-shirt over a long-sleeved black shirt and too-short jeans, and Harry was Ron's opposite, with a large black T-shirt over a long-sleeved red shirt and Dudley-sized jeans. Yugi and Mokuba were each wearing a green sweatshirt, Seto had on his classic white trenchcoat with dark green sunglasses and Marik had an emerald-decorated silver chain and dangling emerald spikes on his earlobes. Fred, George, Ryou and Mokuba had obviously gotten some face-paint. Fred had painted his entire face half red and half black and George had painted his face half green and half white to clash with the shirts they were wearing. Ryou, the only one not wearing green or red clothing, had a green star on his left cheek, and Mokuba had G.I. Joe-style green lines under his eyes.

"Alright, then," stated Mr. Weasley as he entered, wearing a green golfing sweater and too-large jeans, "We better get moving…Charlie, Bill and Percy will join us right before the game since they can Apparate…do you have the tickets for your group, Seto?"

Seto nodded, reaching into one of the pockets of his trenchcoat and holding up five parchment-colored tickets.

"Good," said Mr. Weasley, "Then let's go!"

And so the group headed outside the Burrow and started walking toward the forest around the Muggle side of Ottery St. Catchpole. According to Mr. Weasley, they were going to meet up with someone else from the Ministry and use a Portkey, a useless-looking device that could actually transport people to other places, to travel to the stadium where the World Cup would be held.

At last they began to climb Stoatshead Hill, and at the top, they turned at the sound of voices to see two silhouettes traveling toward them.

"Over here, Arthur! Over here, we've got it!"

"_Amos_!" realized Mr. Weasley, smiling as he strode over to meet him, "Good to see you!"

The man called Amos was a tall, ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard, who was holding in his left hand a moldy-looking old boot.

At first Diana didn't know who the man was: then she saw the silhouette behind him belonged to Cedric Diggory, the seventh-year Hufflepuff Captain and Seeker who had beaten Gryffindor the previous year because Harry fell off his broom in reaction to the dementors patrolling the school. Cedric, who had light brown hair and a handsome-looking face, was dressed in a green polo shirt and jeans, and, by the resemblance between the two men in height and skin color, Diana realized _"Amos"_ was Cedric's father, Amos Diggory, who Gwen told her worked for the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

Cedric smiled at the group of friends. "Hi."

Fred and George nodded in return, but they looked sour. They, as Beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, still hadn't quite forgiven him for beating Gryffindor last year. Diana, however, shot a glare at them to tell them to knock it off and returned Cedric' greeting.

_/It wasn't Cedric's fault Harry fell off his broom, after all/_ Artemis's Heir thought to herself, _/Hell, he'd been the one to suggest a rematch/_

"Long walk, Arthur?" Mr. Diggory asked.

"Not too bad," responded Mr. Weasley, "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"

Mr. Diggory laughed heartily. "Had to get up at two in the morning, didn't we, Ced? I tell ya, I'll be glad when he learns how to _Apparate_…"

"_Two_ in the _morning_?" Diana muttered to Cedric, "And I thought _we_ had it bad…"

Cedric at first looked a bit surprised, and then smiled, as if he hadn't expected her to be nice to him. Then again, Diana reasoned, by the twins' reaction, who could _blame_ him?

"…Looks like I got off _easy_, though," remarked Mr. Diggory, eying the large group with Mr. Weasley, "These all _yours_, Arthur?"

"No, just the ones with red hair and freckles," corrected Mr. Weasley, before pointing out each of the others as he named them, "The others are Ron's friends from school…Seto, Yugi, Mokuba, Marik and Ryou came over Japan just yesterday and have their own tickets…"

"Oh, so _this_ is Seto Kaiba?" Mr. Diggory inquired, looking at Seto keenly.

Seto nodded. "Hai."

"Pleasure to meet you!" greeted Mr. Diggory, shaking Seto's hand vigorously, "Fudge has been telling us you've decided to make your Kaiba Land theme-park into one for wizards and Muggles alike…a _bold_ idea, but a _fantastic_ one!"

"You're too kind," answered Seto with a small smile.

"And…Yugi Mutou?" asked Mr. Diggory, looking at Yugi.

"Hai," responded Yugi.

Mr. Diggory shook his hand as well. "Ced's been telling us all about Duel Monsters since _you_ started school…watching all your duels and building his own deck…says some of the kids in his house are even planning a small inner-House tournament this year he's going to try and win…"

"I wish him the best of luck," Yugi said, smiling wryly toward Ryou, "But I reason Ryou-kun will also be competing."

Mr. Diggory looked at Ryou, and laughed heartily again. "So _you're_ the infamous Ryou Ced's been telling us about! Says he looks forward to dueling you."

Ryou and Cedric smiled at each other: they were pretty good friends within their House of Hufflepuff, but weren't _best_ friends by any means.

"Well, I look forward to it too, Diggory-sama."

Mr. Diggory smiled, before looking to the three students yet to have been mentioned. "And what of _these_ kids, eh Arthur?"

"More friends of Ron's," Mr. Weasley explained, "Hermione, Diana and Harry…they're part of our package."

"_Harry_? As in Harry _Potter_?" repeated Mr. Diggory in amazement, his eyes shooting to the lightning-bolt scar on Harry's forehead.

"Er…yeah," answered Harry, looking awkward.

Mr. Diggory's look of amazement turned to one of pride. "Ced's talked about you, of course…told us all he played against you last year, and I said to him, I said, _'Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will…you beat the Boy Who Lived!'_"

Harry looked even more awkward at that. Fred and George's scowls returned, and Yugi and Marik's eyes narrowed. Diana opened her mouth to speak, but Cedric, looking slightly embarrassed, had already started correcting Mr. Diggory.

"I _told_ you, Dad, Harry fell off his broom…it was an _accident_…"

"Yeah, but _you_ didn't fall off, now did you?" Mr. Diggory laughed, clapping his son on the back, "Always _modest_, our Ced…always the _gentleman_…but the best man won: I'm sure Harry would say the same. One falls off his broom and one doesn't…don't need to be a _genius_ to know which one's the better flier!"

Diana knew Mr. Diggory wasn't _trying_ to be mean, but the uncomfortable look on Harry's face was enough to make her speak up.

"It wasn't Harry's fault, though," she dissented calmly, "If the dementors _hadn't_ been there, Harry wouldn't have fallen off of his broom, so you can't really call it a _fair_ test of Harry's flying, Mr. Diggory. I'm not saying Cedric's not a good player or anything, but Harry is good enough of a player not to fall off a broom in a normal situation."

Harry smiled gratefully at Diana. Cedric again looked a bit surprised Diana was being nice towards him. Mr. Diggory blinked at Diana, taken aback by her response: then he laughed heartily again.

"_Ah_…so you're Carly Randall's daughter, eh?"

Diana nodded.

"Your aunt told me about you," Mr. Diggory noted, grinning broadly, "Very _rebellious_, she said…but old Fudge told me you're probably one of the brightest girls he's ever met. Said you made more sense than some of his top employees in one of the meetings you and Gwen had with him."

Diana gave a slight smile, knowing which meeting he meant: the meeting in which Gwen and she had tried to convince Fudge to let her have contact with her father, Remus. Finally Fudge had let her write to and see him, on the condition that they not meet on a daily basis, for fear the media would leak out the truth.

Mr. Weasley looked at his watch. "Must be nearly time now, Amos…are there any more coming?"

"No, the Lovegoods have been there a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," replied Mr. Diggory, looking around to see if anyone else would arrive, "Anyone coming from your area?"

"Not that I know of."

"Okay then…everyone touch the Portkey."

The group crowded around in a large circle around the old boot, each touching it with a finger.

"Three…" murmured Mr. Weasley, eying his watch, "…two…one…"

Immediately Diana felt the sensation of being jerked backward: her feet left the ground and she and her friends spun around in a speeding circle of howling wind and swirling color…her finger was stuck on the book as if it were a magnet stuck on a refrigerator, and it was more than a bit painful being twirled around by your finger like a huge top…

Finally the swirling stopped: she fell to the ground.

"_Ow_!"

Diana looked down to see she'd fallen on top of Cedric.

"Oops…sorry," she apologized, rolling off him, standing up and offering him a hand, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, blushing slightly as he took her hand and pulled himself up. "Are you?"

"I've fallen on a lot more uncomfortable things than you," Diana joshed, grinning, "Don't worry about it."

Cedric laughed.

Unlike the students, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory were so used to Portkeys that instead of falling into the grass, they could gently glide to the ground like a feather off a bird dropping gracefully from the sky.

"Here we are!" Mr. Weasley said cheerfully, "Foxhole Grounds, camping site for wizards outside of Starlight Stadium."

* * *

**Lina: I don't remember there being a name for the grounds or stadium in the book or movie...**

**Yugi: Likely Kitty made them up. Takes any opportunity to name things if she can. And the names are cool.**

**Kitty: (squeals as she enters the room) The new guest arrived!**

**Lina: What guest?**

**Yugi: Another book character here to board with us?**

**Lina: And where is he sleeping, pretell? I'm already squishing Bakura and Sirius in my room, Noa and Remus sleeping on the couches in the living room, Harry's sleeping in your mum's room and Yugi's sleeping in your room.**

**Kitty: (thinks) He can sleep on the comfy bench on the back patio. There's a screen around it to protect him from bugs and such and an auning to protect him from the elements.**

**Yugi: And who is this guest who wouldn't mind sleeping outside?**

**Cedric: (enters) Hi.**

**Kitty: (glomps Cedric) YAAAAAAY! EYE CANDY!  
**

**Yugi and Lina: (sweatdrop) **

**Cedric: (sweatdrop) Er...I think you guys would say 'R&R' at a time like this?**

**Yugi and Lina: (nods) Yep.**

**Cedric: Okay then...R&R! **


	5. Chapter 4: Associates and Anticipation

**Yugi: Wow, another chapter? Kitty's updating almost every two days now...**

**Cedric: (comes in) I guess Kitty doesn't update this often? Why is she doing it now?**

**Yugi: Two reasons: one, she says she has a lot of awesome things she planned for this fic that she won't tell me about, and two, more importantly, she has little to nothing to do before she goes off to see her dad in California in about three more weeks.**

**Kitty: (strolls on in) Hey, Cedric. Hey, Yugi. Everything okay?**

**Cedric: You're squealing 'Eye Candy' anymore.**

**Kitty: First initial excitement of seeing you, Cedric-kun. So what's going on?**

**Yugi: Really getting at it, aren't you, Neko-chan?**

**Kitty: Do you mean in bed or in writing?**

**Yugi: Both. But mostly writing.**

**Kitty: Yeah, I guess so. I'M BORED! (sighs loudly)**

**Cedric: Well, now you have something to stop you from being bored.**

**Kitty: (smiles at Cedric) Yep! With you here, I can't be bored now!**

**Cedric: I meant the fic...but whatever.**

**Yugi: (sighs) R&R, peeps!**

**

* * *

**  
_**Chapter Four:**_

_**Associates and Anticipation**_

Foxhole Grounds was by far a very pleasant place. When the Weasleys and the Japanese group parted ways with Mr. Diggory and Cedric to go find their campsite, they were greeted by a Muggle named Mr. Roberts. Mr. Roberts at first seemed suspicious that something was going on (apparently Mr. Weasley hadn't been the _only_ person to have problems figuring out the Muggle money system), but as soon as a wizard came up and modified his memory with a Memory Charm, Mr. Roberts quite placidly gave them a map of the grounds and their change as if nothing was wrong at all.

Their two tents, labeled _"Kaiba"_ and _"Weezly,"_ were next to each other around the southeastern edge of the grounds near a patch of forest that separated their space from the field near the stadium. At first the Muggle-raised students could easily wonder how everyone was going to fit into two rugged, small tents such as the ones in front of them, but as soon as Mr. Weasley drew back the cover to the front of the _"Weezly"_ tent, all questions ceased as the inside revealed was that of a comfy two-level guest home.

As soon as they got settled, the fourth-year Brits and the Japanese boys decided to go take a look around. All over were tents that were completely normal-looking were it not for the added chimneys, front gardens and weathervanes. One tent the friends saw, a tent that belonged to a dorm-mate of Yugi, Ron and Harry's named Seamus Finnigan, was covered in Irish shamrocks to the extent Mokuba had wondered if he'd been jinxed so he could only see green. A group of tents nearby had moving-picture posters of the Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum, plastered on their sides, and it took quite a while before Diana and Hermione were able to yank Ron away from the tents so he wouldn't stare at the posters all day.

"He looks really _grumpy_ to _me_, Ron, what's the point in idolizing a _grumpy_ person?" inquired Hermione.

"_He's the best Seeker in the world_!" cried Ron.

"With the worst _attitude_, it looks like," Marik commented with a smile, "Mione-kun's right: don't go acting like this or you might start acting like your brother Percy with Crouch-sama."

There they also met Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain who had graduated the previous year, as well as Cho Chang, the Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Diana noticed Harry was blushing a bit when Cho waved at him.

"Got a little crush, Harry?" she muttered to him.

Harry went even redder. "N-_no_! W-what makes you think that I-?"

"You're not a good actor, _that's_ why," Diana replied, smiling wryly and patting him on the shoulder, "Don't worry about it, mate, I won't tell."

She started walking ahead of him so he wouldn't have the chance to protest.

There were also groups of teenage wizards and witches in different colored robes and speaking in different languages: obviously they were groups of foreign exchange students.

A girl with thick curly hair came up to the friends, talking very quickly.

"_Où est Madame Maxime? Nous l'avons perdue-_"

"Er…what?" said Ron, obviously clueless.

Diana stepped ahead of Ron and spoke to the girl.

"_Nous ne savons pas. Vous êtes des étudiants de Beauxbatons?_"

The girl blinked in surprise.

"_Vous parlez français?_" she inquired, "_N'êtes-vous pas un étudiant de Hogwarts?_"

"_Oui, je suis un étudiant de Hogwarts_," answered Diana, "_J'étudie le français avec ma tante pendant l'été. Et je suppose que vous avez juste répondu à ma première question: vous êtes des étudiants de Beauxbatons._"

The girl smiled. "_Oui, nous sommes. Bien, c'était réunion gentille vous. J'ai pour trouver Madame Maxime._"

And with that, she ran away in the opposite direction.

"What the hell was _that_ about?" asked Ron, looking dumbfounded.

Hermione eyed Diana curiously. "I didn't know you spoke French, Dare."

Diana smiled. "Guess I never mentioned it. Aunt Gwen says that it helps in foreign magical relations to know a second language…otherwise we'd just confirm the negative views that foreign countries generally have toward us."

It was almost noon, so the friends went back to their tents to see Bill, Charlie and Percy had arrived and Mr. Weasley was bringing some food out to them.

They were halfway through their eggs and sausage when Mr. Weasley looked up and said cheerfully, "_Ah_, Ludo! Nice to see you!"

At the sight of a tall, powerfully built man with a broken nose, blond hair and a boyish face and dressed in yellow-and-black Wimbourne Wasp Quidditch robes, Diana knew Mr. Weasley was saying hello to Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

"Ahoy there!" he called cheerfully, walking toward them with a powerful spring in his step. When he got to them, he sat next to Mr. Weasley and greeted, "Arthur, what a _day_, eh? Couldn't have _asked_ for better weather and hardly a _hiccup_ in the foreign arrangements…how are you doing?"

"Very well, thank you," answered Mr. Weasley, "Ah…yes," he had noticed Percy was quickly reaching a hand to Bagman, obviously trying to make a good impression even though he disliked the way Bagman ran his department, "This is my son, Percy…he's just started at the Ministry…and this is Fred…no, sorry, _George_…_that's_ Fred…Bill, Charlie, Ron…my daughter, Ginny…Ron's friends, Seto, Yugi, Marik, Mokuba and Ryou…and Diana, Hermione and Harry."

Bagman, like Mr. Diggory, looked up at Harry's forehead to note his lightning bolt scar: however, unlike Mr. Diggory, he didn't address Harry. Instead he spoke to Yugi, Ryou, Marik and Seto.

"_Ah_, I've heard of you four! Saw your company's tournaments, Seto, and liked what I saw! _Wonderful_ duels. I like all kinds of games, and Duel Monsters is _no_ exception. 'Course, I'm no _expert_ by any means, but it's fun to play when the work day is slow!"

He chuckled.

"I actually sent you a letter by owl post concerning my ideas for a magical Duel Monsters tournament just yesterday," Seto remarked, "I don't know if you received it-"

"Oh no, I did!" Bagman interrupted brightly, "And I think it's a _wonderful_ idea! The location normally would be a problem, but you already said you plan to have it at your amusement park when it's finished, so problem solved! I just need to talk to a few other branches first on expenses, foreign relations and other boring stuff, but I'm _sure_ everything will go quickly."

He turned back to Mr. Weasley. "Fancy a wager on the match, Arthur? Already got old Archie to give me a wager on Bulgaria's victory."

"_Hmm_…alright then," Mr. Weasley agreed, "Let's see…a Galleon on Ireland to win?"

"A _Galleon_?" Bagman repeated, looking a bit disappointed, but recovering quickly, "Very well, very well…anyone else? Yugi, how about you? Seto?"

"I don't gamble," Seto stated coolly, "Sad to say, my money already has _other_ things on its mind."

"I may be the King of Games, Bagman-sama, but I'm by no means _rich_," Yugi answered pleasantly, "I merely own a simple game-shop. My money's all going to my family right now."

"Ah _yes_, the Daily Prophet had a little snippet about your wedding," Bagman remembered cheerfully, "Congratulations."

Yugi smiled, and Bagman quickly looked to Ryou and Marik.

"How about you two?"

"Like Kaiba-kun, I don't gamble," Ryou replied lightly.

Marik shrugged. "I _would_, but I know Kara-chan would disapprove…and as people in Japan say, _'amarimono ni wa fuku ga aru.'_"

The Japanese boys laughed, and Marik added to Bagman, "That means_ 'a bad wife spells a hundred years of bad harvest.'_ I believe your English equivalent would be _'when Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.' _It'd be _suicide_ for me to displease Kara-chan."

Bagman laughed as well. "A word of advice for _every_ husband, I must say…well, if they'll be no more bidders-"

"We bid!" said Fred and George in unison, quickly pooling all the money out of their pockets.

"Fred, George, that's your entire _savings_," Mr. Weasley muttered under his breath to the twins, "Your _mother_-"

But the twins weren't listening.

"Thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles and three Knuts that Ireland wins-"

"But Viktor Krum gets the Snitch…oh, we'll throw in a fake wand too."

"Don't go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like _that_!" hissed Percy.

But Bagman didn't seem to think the fake wand was rubbish: in fact, he picked it up excitedly, and when it turned into a rubber chicken, he roared with laughter.

"That's _brilliant_! I haven't seen one _that_ convincing in _years_! I'd pay five Galleons for that!"

Percy looked stunned and disapproving at the same time. Diana grinned broadly at the twins: at least someone outside the group of friends and the Weasley family saw their stuff was cool.

"So you reckon Ireland will win, but Krum will catch the Snitch?" asked Bagman as he took out a notebook and quill and wrote down their names and bet, "Not a chance, boys, not a _chance_…I'll give you _great_ odds on _that_…I'll just add five Galleons to your total for the fake wand…"

"Cheers," responded George as Bagman ripped their slip out of his notebook and handed it to him.

"Bagman-sama," Ryou spoke up, frowning suddenly, "I got the Daily Prophet this summer and it kept talking about a witch gone from your department…have you heard from her yet?"

Bagman looked at Ryou in surprise: then his look of boyish happiness returned. "_Oh_, you mean Bertha Jorkins…not a dicky bird yet, Ryou, but don't you worry, she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha…memory like a leaky caldron and _no_ sense of direction…she'll probably come back mid-October and think it's still July."

Ryou still looked skeptical, but didn't voice his concerns further. Instead he forced a smile on his face and said, "So…no problems at all for you?"

"None at all," Bagman assented cheerfully, "Well, my Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties and I can't understand a word he's saying…but I've been keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch: I'm sure _he_ can put it right with those hundred-something languages he knows…"

"Mr. Crouch?" Percy at once lost his look of disapproval and now looked excited. "He speaks over _two hundred_! Mermish, Gobbledegook, Troll-"

"_Anyone_ can speak _Troll_, Percy," scorned Fred, "All you have to do is point and grunt."

Diana, Harry and Yugi laughed: Percy scowled at Fred.

Bagman suddenly looked up. "_Ah_, speak of the _devil_! Barty!"

The wizard Ginny, Diana and all knew as _"Crouch the Grouch"_ had just Apparated close by their tent: the parting in his gray hair seemed almost unnaturally straight, he had a short mustache like the bristles of a toothbrush and he was dressed in clothes only fitting of a strict Muggle banker. Not only did he look very different from Bagman, it was apparent their temperaments were completely opposite of each other.

"Pull up a bit of grass, won't you, Barty?" greeted Bagman, patting the ground beside him.

"No thank you, Ludo," Crouch dissented, a cold impatience in his voice, "I've been looking for you _everywhere_. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box."

"Oh, is _that_ what they were after?" inquired Bagman, "I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of _tweezers_…strong accent, you know…"

"_Mr. Crouch_!" breathed Percy like a fan trying to be in control at the sight of his favorite baseball player, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Oh," Crouch looked at Percy in mild surprise, before responding dismissively, "Yes, thank you, Weatherby."

Diana snorted with laughter into her cup of tea: Seto was the only one of the students that had been able to bite back their amusement, and only by pushing his green sunglasses closer to his face so you wouldn't see the amusement in his eyes. Percy's ears went red, and he immediately busied himself with the kettle.

"So, been busy, Barty?" Bagman asked breezily.

"Fairly," Crouch answered dryly, "Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean _feat_, Ludo."

"_Five continents_?" repeated Ryou, "Wow, you've had your work cut out for you, then."

Crouch looked down at Ryou with a look of mild surprise similar to the one he'd given Percy when he first realized he was there.

"And who might _you_ be?" he inquired as he took a cup of tea from Percy, as if he wanted to know what family Ryou must have come from to have the nerve to speak to a highly respected person in the Ministry of Magic.

"Ryou Bakura," the albino introduced himself, standing up and bowing respectfully, "I'm one of the Japanese exchange students that had to become licensed as a full-fledged wizard this summer…"

Crouch's eyes widened slightly in subtle recognition, and he nodded.

"Yes, yes, I had to sign paperwork for that," he commented, his tone becoming less suspicious at the knowledge that Ryou was a legal adult instead of a overconfident student, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bakura."

Ryou smiled politely.

"I suppose you and Mr. Bagman will be glad when this whole thing's over," Hermione noted, "Since you both have been so busy…"

Bagman looked shocked. "_Glad_? Don't know when I've had more _fun_…but we've got _plenty_ of plans still to look _forward_ to, eh Barty?"

Crouch raised his eyebrows at Bagman. "We _agreed_ not to make the announcement without all the _details_-"

"Oh, _details_!" Bagman waved the word away like it was an annoying fly, "They've signed all the _agreements_ and everything, Barty…I wouldn't be surprised if these kids already _knew_, they go to Hogwarts, after all…"

"Ludo, we have to go meet the Bulgarians, you know," Crouch interjected sharply, "Thank you for the tea, Weatherby."

He pushed his cup of untouched tea back into Percy's hands and waited impatiently for Bagman to stand and follow him toward the stadium: when Bagman finally stumbled to his feet, he gulped down the rest of his tea, said a cheerful goodbye to the group, and he and Crouch Disapparated.

"What were Crouch and Bagman-sama talking about, Weasley-san?" Mokuba asked, looking a bit more comfortable now that the Ministry adults had left, "That thing someone had to agree with?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Mr. Weasley told him with a smile.

"It's classified information until such time as the Ministry deems it right to _reveal_ it," Percy added stiffly, "Mr. Crouch was _right_ not to disclose it."

"I think he should've let Bagman keep talking," George snorted, "Then we might _know_ what you all are talking about."

Percy looked annoyed. "Ludo Bagman is a complete _idiot_ to go blabbing his mouth like that…doesn't have a care about _anything_ the Ministry says…I wonder sometimes how he _ever_ got to be Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports-"

"Maybe by actually having _fun_ once and a while and not being so _serious_ all the time, Weatherby," laughed Diana.

* * *

**Yugi: End chapter.**

**Cedric: You speak French, Kitty?**

**Kitty: A little. The real French expert is Emessa-chan. I just used the online Babble-Fish translator to help me with that part since I haven't taken French in a year and a half now. (to audience) Speaking of which, the conversation between Dare and the Beauxbatons girl, translated, is:**

_Girl: Where is Madame Maxime? We've lost her- _

_Dare: We don't know. Are you students from Beauxbatons?_

_Girl: You speak French? Aren't you a Hogwarts student?_

_Dare: Yes, I'm a Hogwarts student. I study French with my aunt during the summer. And I suppose you've just answered my question: you are students from Beauxbatons._

_Girl: Yes, we are. Well, it was nice meeting you. I've got to find Madame Maxime._

**Kitty: (smiles) R&R, everyone!**


	6. Chapter 5: Bulgaria VS Ireland

**Kitty: I need to stop updating so much and actually wait longer between posts so I can get more feedback in between...but hell, I only have enough patience to fill a teaspoon when it comes to posting chapters I've finished. (sticks tongue out)**

**Yugi: Well, at least the people who don't review as much will have a couple chapters to read at once.**

**Atem: That's true.**

**Cedric: Hey, Kitty...how do you do it?**

**Kitty: Do what?**

**Cedric: Be such a major fan of me and other characters and not be a rabid fangirl?**

**Atem: That's a good question. How _do _you do it, Kitty? **

**Kitty: Easy. I squee a lot when I first see you and then I remember that, despite your hot looks and many talents, you are simple people with faults and feelings.**

**Cedric: Wow...deep.**

**Kitty: Or I just remember that if I didn't hold back my excitement you'd run for the hills and I'd never see you again.**

**Cedric: (sweatdrop)**

**Yugi: (sweatdrop) R&R!**

**

* * *

**  
_**Chapter Five:**_

_**Bulgaria VS. Ireland**_

Starlight Stadium, compared to any normal-sized Muggle stadium, was nothing short of spectacular. It seemed that ten cathedrals could fit comfortably inside of its walls, and it seated a hundred thousand people in its immense golden stands.

The group of friends was seated in the Top Box near where Ludo Bagman would be commentating on the match. Yugi, Ryou, Seto, Mokuba and Marik were seated in one row behind the Weasleys and their British friends.

Diana took out a pair of Omnioculars she'd bought from a peddler out front that would allow her to slow down the Firebolt-paced game to a comfortable speed and immediately looked around the stands.

"This place is _huge_!" she murmured, "_Oh_! Look, there's Cedric and his parents…and over there's Oliver Wood!"

"Hey, let me see!"

Yugi got up from his seat and went over to Diana so he could look through one eye-socket of her Omnioculars while she looked out the other. It was then as the two looked around the stands that Yugi noticed something in a row to the left of his that made him do a double take.

The row was completely empty except for a tiny creature with large bat-like ears and wearing a tea towel like a toga.

"_Dobby_?" the King of Games said incredulously.

Harry looked up too at the sound of the name of the house-elf who had nearly prevented him and Yugi from going to Hogwarts in their second year. The house-elf turned, but it wasn't Dobby: this house-elf's eyes were brown instead of Dobby's tennis-ball green and its nose was the exact size and shape of a tomato. It looked as if, when it had been facing forward, it had been covering its face with its hands.

"Gomennasai," Yugi apologized quickly, "I-I just thought you were someone I knew."

"Did sir just call me _Dobby_?" asked the elf, and the voice was slightly higher even then Dobby's squeaky voice, so Yugi guessed this one might be female. "I knows Dobby _too_, sir! My name is Winky, sir…and you, sir…you is surely Yugi Mutou!"

"Hai, I am," replied Yugi, "Dobby's a friend of Harry-kun's and mine."

"Harry?" repeated Winky, "Sir means Harry as in…_Harry Potter_?"

"Yeah," Harry spoke for Yugi, "How's Dobby doing?"

Winky shook her head slowly, as if she was politely disapproving of Harry's question. "_Ah_, sir…with the _greatest_ respect meant, sir, I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, setting him free, sir."

"Why?" inquired Harry, taken aback. "What's wrong with him?"

"Freedom is going to Dobby's _head_, sir," answered Winky. "Ideas above his _station_, sir…can't get another _position_, sir."

"What, do people not want him now that he's been freed or something?" asked Yugi.

Winky shook her head. "No, sir…he…" She shivered at the horror of the thing she was going to tell them. She lowered her voice a half-octave and whispered, "_He is wanting pay for his work, sir_."

"_Pay_?" Harry recurred blankly, "What's so wrong with _that_?"

Winky looked quite horrified at the idea. "House-elves is not _paid_, sir! No, no, _no_, I says to Dobby. I says, go find yourself a nice family and settle _down_, Dobby. He is getting up to all kinds of jinks, sir, what is _unbecoming_ of a house-elf. You goes rattling on like _this_, Dobby, I says, and the next thing I hear you is up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures like a common _goblin_!"

"Well, wizards and witches get pay and days off and such," Yugi pointed out, "After being chained to a family like the _Malfoys_, I think Dobby _deserves_ a bit of fun."

"House-elves is _not_ supposed to have _fun_, sir," Winky told him firmly, "House-elves does what they is _told_, sir. I is not liking heights at _all_…" she gave a slight glance toward the Quidditch field, before turning away and gulping, "…But my master sends me to Top Box and I _comes_, sir. Master…wants me to save him a seat, Yugi Mutou…he is very busy. Winky wishes she is back in Master's _tent_, sir…but Winky is a _good_ house-elf. Winky does what she is _told_."

She covered her eyes and faced forward again. Yugi and Harry exchanged a look that clearly said, _"Well, who am I to tell her otherwise?"_ and settled back down in their seats.

"So that's a _house-elf_, ne?" muttered Seto, eying Winky with an eyebrow raised, "Weird little thing…"

"Dobby was weirder," Harry assured him, and Yugi nodded in agreement.

Mokuba was looking over Hermione's shoulder as the bookworm looked through the velvet-covered program she'd received at the entrance.

"'_A display from the team's mascots will precede the match,'_" the younger Kaiba read aloud, "What will that be, like, a guy in an animal suit and a bunch of pretty cheerleaders or something?"

"No, national teams usually bring creatures from their native land to put on a bit of a show," explained Mr. Weasley, "Fun things to watch, actually: something to look forward to…"

The Top Box slowly started to fill up: the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, arrived with a bunch of Bulgarian ministers that he couldn't communicate with, and after him came Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy.

Diana glared at Malfoy as he and his family sat next to the Japanese boys. Yugi, Seto and Marik looked like they'd just smelled something disgusting: Mokuba and Ryou simply glared at them. The Malfoys also didn't seem to enjoy the fact that they were sitting so close to a group of Muggle-born wizards, but Malfoy took it in stride by using the opportunity to mock his old school enemies.

"Hey, Weasley," Malfoy sneered at Ron, "What did your father have to _sell_ to get seats up _here_? Surely your _house_ wouldn't have fetched _that_ much…"

Ron went bright red and looked tempted to punch him in the face, but Hermione gave him a warning look and he tried to hold back his anger.

"Be quiet, Malfoy," snapped Marik, "We don't enjoy this set-up anymore than _you_ do, so just fuck off."

"_Language_, Ishtar," Malfoy mocked in a condescending way, "Just because you grew up in an underground Muggle _slum_ doesn't mean you have to broadcast it to the _world_."

Marik's eyes narrowed and his hand inched closer toward the black wand poking out of his left pocket: Diana hurried to defend Marik's dignity before he jinxed their pale, blond rival in the middle of the now-crowded Top Box.

"And just because _you_ grew up in a chauvinistic pureblood manor doesn't mean your family has the right to team up with a Dark wizard and kill innocent people."

"Shut up, Randall," hissed Malfoy, looking only at Diana, as if she was the only one there.

"Shut your fat mouth without me having to _jinx_ you first, and maybe I _will_," she growled back.

"_Oh_, like _you'd_ really do _anything_ outside of school?" Malfoy snorted.

"Like _you'd_ really do _anything_ some place where we can fight _back_?" Diana scorned under her breath, "You _never_ pick fights unless Daddy's around to save your ass, because you know any one of us could beat you ten times over in a fair fight."

Malfoy's pale gray eyes flashed dangerously, and he moved closer toward her as if to intimidate her. "Are you calling me a _coward_, Randall?"

"Why, yes," Diana smirked, moving closer to Malfoy as well so that their faces were less than a foot apart, "Yes, I suppose I am."

Malfoy looked ready to hex her, but, likely thinking of the many people in the stands around them, he decided not to and looked away from her and back to the field, seething angrily. Harry gave Diana a huge grin.

Next thing they knew, Ludo Bagman had appeared in the Top Box, cast the charm _"Sonorus!"_ and started speaking in a voice that boomed magically around the stadium.

"**_Ladies and gentlemen…welcome to the final of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup! Now it is time to present the team mascots…up first, Bulgaria!"_**

The right-hand side of the stands, which looked like one large mass of red and black, roared its approval, as a group of figures glided out onto the field. It took Diana about two seconds to figure out what the figures were.

"Those are _veela_!" she realized.

"What are veela?" asked Ginny.

"Creatures with the appearance of women," Hermione told her, sounding as if she'd swallowed the textbook, "They have an unearthly beauty that affects chiefly males. They make them feel dazed, which makes them act a bit stupid…RON, WHAT THE _HELL_ ARE YOU _DOING_?"

She grabbed Ron's arm to try and pull him back into his seat: the red-haired boy had been about to jump over the edge of the Top Box like a professional swimmer from a diving board.

Harry, too, had one leg on top of the box as if about to jump. Ginny went over to him and slapped his face gently.

"_Harry_! Harry, snap out of it!"

The Boy Who Lived blinked as he came back to earth. "Huh? What?"

"You okay?" Ginny asked in concern.

"Uh…yeah," replied Harry, smiling at her, "Thanks, Ginny."

Ginny's cheeks went pink. "Don't…don't mention it."

In back of the Brits, Seto had covered Mokuba's eyes, and the black-haired second-year was fighting furiously to see what was going on. The left corner of the elder Kaiba's mouth had twisted up absently into a slight smile, but he hadn't gone so far as jumping out of the Top Box. Ryou's face was a bright red, and his brown eyes following the veela dance like a cat following the path of a fish swimming around a fishbowl. Yugi had closed his eyes and put his fingers in his ears, muttering, "You're _married_, you baka, you're _married_…" over and over under his breath. Marik kept hitting himself to make sure he didn't get too dazed. Most amusing of all, Malfoy, blushing furiously, was fidgeting as if it was taking every bit of his self-control to stop himself from pushing Ron out of the way so he could jump himself.

Finally the music stopped and the veela glided away toward the corner of the stadium so the Irish mascots could enter. Seto took his hand away from Mokuba's eyes, sighing in relief as the absent smile left his face. Hermione was finally able to pull Ron back into his seat. Ron blinked twice, looked at Hermione, and then looked down at her hand holding onto his arm. Hermione immediately let go, and the two looked away in opposite directions, blushing furiously.

The people in the stands yelled and booed furiously, not wanting the veela to leave, but Bagman started talking loudly over their disapproval.

"_**And now…Ireland!"**_

Out of nowhere, a green and gold comet zoomed around the stadium and then separated into two smaller comets that zoomed around in opposite directions before crashing into each other and exploding in a display of shamrock-shaped fireworks. The crowd oohed and ahhed as a rainbow arched down from where the two comets had exploded and thousands of tiny men dressed in green danced down it in small groups that formed a letter of _"I-R-E-L-A-N-D." _And as the green men gave their cheery jig, gold leprechaun coins fell from the sky.

"_Excellent_!" yelled Ron as he caught some of the gold.

"Don't get too excited, Ron," Diana said grimly, "Leprechaun gold vanishes after a few hours. You won't have that stuff for very long."

Ron looked at the gold in his hand, before dropping it onto the ground at his feet and pouting. "_Damn_…and here I thought that I might actually be _rich_ for a little while."

Mokuba patted his shoulder. "Sorry, Ron-kun. But it's better for Dare-kun to tell you _now_ instead of _later_."

Ron sighed sadly and nodded in agreement.

The rainbow vanished and the leprechauns joined the veela on the left corner of the stadium.

"**_And now, ladies and gentlemen,"_** Bagman announced loudly and happily, **_"Kindly welcome the Bulgarian team!"_**

Scarlet-clad figures on broomsticks zoomed into sight as Bagman called their names.

"_**Presenting…Dimitrov! Ivanova! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! AAAAAAAAAND Krum!"**_

"That's _him_, Harry!" Ron pointed out his favorite player to Harry excitedly as the red-and-black side of the stands roared with applause, "That's _him_! _That's__Viktor Krum_!"

Diana looked up at him through her Omnioculars. He was heavily muscled and sallow-skinned, with a large curved nose and thick black eyebrows. To her, Viktor Krum seemed more like an overgrown bird of prey than an 18-year-old Quidditch prodigy.

"Mione wasn't kidding, Ron," she stated, "He _does_ look really grumpy."

Ron scowled at her.

"**_And now, ladies and gentlemen,"_** continued Bagman, **_"Please turn your attention to the Irish team!"_**

This time, the players that flew in were dressed in emerald robes.

"_**Presenting…Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! AAAAAAAAAND Lynch!"**_

"The team with the best Chasers in the world," Ginny muttered under her breath, "No one deserves the Cup more than _them_."

After the cheers for the Irish settled down, Bagman spoke once more.

"_**And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chair-wizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"**_

Mostafa was a bald, mustached man carrying a wooden crate in one hand and a broomstick in the other: his robes were yellow and a silver whistle hanging from his neck glistened in the sun.

Marik stood up and whooped loudly.

"What's up with _you_?" asked Seto in surprise, "It's just the _referee_."

"Yeah, but _he's_ the one who is brave enough to referee a Quidditch match of this magnitude despite the very likely chance that he'll get a free ticket to St. Mungo's in the process, _and he's from Egypt_!" Marik replied with a large grin, before going back to the field and shouting, "_YOU GO, DUDE_!"

The Japanese boys sweatdropped.

"_**Mostafa releases the Quaffle…and they're off!"

* * *

**_

**Cedric: Wait...where's the game?**

**Kitty: Describing the whole game would take too long, sad to say: it doesn't advance the plot, I hate writing action scenes and I still have, according to how many chapters are in the book, a little less than thirty chapters left. **

**Yugi: Damn, Kitten...thirty chapters? **

**Kitty: (nods) Got a long, _long _way to go... **

**Atem: You're not kidding. (to audience) R&R!**_  
_


	7. Chapter 6: The Skull in the Sky

**Kitty: Well, I've been writing chappies and waiting for the right time to post them...and now my waiting is over: here's chapter six!**

**Yugi: How many chapters ahead are you?**

**Kitty: Just one for the moment, but mostly because the chapter after next is the start of most of the plot action.**

**Bakura: (strolls inside) Hey. New chapter?**

**Kitty: Yep...but what are you doing in here, Baku-kun?**

**Bakura: I'm trying to escape from the repitiveness of Lina's latest YouTube obsession.**

**Yugi: And what's that?**

**Bakura: An Evanescence AMV...starring me. (sweatdrop)**

**Kitty: _Ooh_, Evanescence? Which song?**

**Bakura: _'Bring Me to Life.'_ Why?**

**Kitty: (squees) I LOVE THAT SONG! I'VE GOT TO SEE THAT AMV! (searches on YouTube for it)  
**

**Bakura: (sweatdrop) Damn it...now the obsession has passed on. Why did I even mention it?**

**Yugi: (shrugs) Wonderful question...now all it needs is an answer.**

**Bakura: (sighs) R&R.**

**

* * *

**

**_Chapter Six:_**

**_The Skull in the Sky_**

The British kids, Ginny, Fred, George and the Japanese boys were goofing off in the _"Kaiba"_ tent after the game. The twins' rather risky bet, that Ireland would win but Krum would catch the Snitch, actually turned out to be the best summary of the game. Of course, Ron was still bragging that the game proved just how good a player Krum was: even though he _knew_ that Bulgaria would lose, he was determined to end the game by his terms. Fred and George, in response to Ron's fervid worship of Krum, had started a low chant with the others of _"Dumb Krum! Dumb Krum!" _

"He's not _just_ a Quidditch player!" Ron proclaimed as he stood on top of the dining table in the middle of the blue tent, waving a Bulgarian flag in one hand and holding a bottle of butterbeer in the other, "He's an _artist_!"

Bakura, Yugi and Marik laughed.

"_Viktor, I love you!_" Fred sang badly to tease Ron further.

"_Viktor, I do!_" added George.

"_When we're apart, my heart beats only for you!_" Diana, Harry and Ginny joined the twins, before having to run away in choruses of laughter from Ron before he was able to whack them over the head with a pillow he'd grabbed from the couch the Kaiba brothers and Hermione were sitting on.

Suddenly Mr. Weasley rushed into their tent, looking scared.

"Ron, Ginny…c'mon you all, _get up_! We need to getting going now, _hurry_!"

"What's going on, Weasley-san?" Mokuba asked in concern.

"No _time_!" Mr. Weasley grabbed Ginny's hand, "Just follow me…_hurry_!"

They did as they were told, and were shocked by what they found outside.

Everyone was running around in panic and chaos: screaming and a strange, ominous chanting had replaced the singing and cheering of the Irish supporters, and up in the sky, there were faint outlines of human bodies. They looked like Muggles, and they were levitated so high above the trees it wasn't surprising they were screaming in terror.

"We've got to _help_ those people!" yelled Yugi.

"_No_!" Mr. Weasley grabbed him before he could run toward the Muggles, "We've got to stay _together_! This way, toward the Portkey! _Now_!"

They all ran after Mr. Weasley away from Foxhole Grounds: suddenly a shout from behind her made Diana turn around. Harry had gotten separated from the rest of them and was now being trampled by the other panicked wizards and witches thinking of nothing but escape.

"_Harry_!"

Diana shoved back through the crowd to try and get to her friend.

"_Diana_! Diana, come _back_! We've got to stay _together_!"

"_Dare-chan_!"

But she couldn't focus on Mr. Weasley and Bakura's words.

_/What if the people who levitated those Muggles got to Harry?…/_

Finally she got close enough to help Harry up. People were pushing past in her in every direction, making it difficult for her to keep her balance.

"_Dare_!" breathed Harry in relief.

The two turned around and could finally see, through the crowds of people, what had brought about this chaos.

A tightly packed together group of wizards was marching slowly across the field. They were casting spells in all directions, setting fire to tents and levitating more people into the air, and under the black cloaks they wore, they wore full white masks with eye slits that made them look like sinister masqueraded puppets. Something about them made Diana's heart prickle with fear. The aura of darkness and evil around them was one only fitting for Voldemort's supporters: the Death Eaters.

Diana seized Harry's hand and she struggled to push her way back toward their friends…but the crowd was so large and so panicked that she couldn't see anything of them through the many colors of the other escapees.

Fortunately a hand grabbed hers and dragged her through the right side of the crowd into the thick forest near the stadium. When they were finally out of the crowd, Diana saw the hand belonged to Hermione.

"Are you okay?" asked Ron, who was holding onto Hermione's hand and had helped yank the three out of the crowd like a many-person fishing rod.

Harry nodded shakily. "I-I think so…"

The four ducked behind some trees as the panicked crowd traveled by them.

"We better lay low here until it's safe," murmured Hermione.

Diana nodded. "Okay…wands out, everyone."

Ron, Hermione and she took out their wands: when Harry reached into his pocket, however, he gasped. "My wand's _gone_!"

"_What_?"

"It is! I-I must have dropped it when we were running or something…"

"Don't worry, Harry," Ron assured him, "The three of us have _our_ wands: we'll protect you if something happens."

Hermione peeked around the tree she was hiding behind at the panicked mob. "_Now_ I know why Mr. Weasley was so determined to get us out of here…of _course_ the Death Eaters would go after Muggles and Muggle-born wizards…good thing Yugi didn't try and go help those people…"

"But…why are the Death Eaters _here_?" inquired Harry, "I don't _understand_…Voldemort's _gone_…" Hermione and Ron flinched at the Dark Lord's name, but Harry took no heed, "They've got no one to _follow_."

"_Really_, Harry," Diana answered, "If you were _truly_ loyal to someone and their teachings, would their death _stop_ you from following their ways? The Death Eaters don't _care_…they'll continue to traumatize Muggles for the rest of their lives, no matter _how_ many laws are passed. But _still_…the Death Eaters haven't appeared since Voldemort _fell_…at least, not in their Death Eater attire and such. It's not surprising people are so scared to see them."

"Could that mean…that Voldemort is getting _stronger_?" Harry asked, his eyes widening, "Do you think _that's_ why the Death Eaters are rallying?"

But Harry's question was never answered, for they heard a sound like someone struggling through the bushes…the dark outline of a figure appeared seemingly from nowhere…and then a male voice yelled a word that sounded like a spell.

"_MORSMORDRE_!"

A vast green light exploded from the end of the wand in his hand and flew up into the sky, arranging itself into the shape of a skull with a serpent slithering out of its mouth like a long, sinister tongue.

"_Voldemort's Mark_…" whispered Diana, terror filling her voice and her wide eyes, "_The Dark Mark_…"

The man had heard her: he turned to look at her and her friends, who were frozen where they stood, but the sound of fast footsteps through the grass made him turn away from them before they could get a clear look at his face.

"_DUCK_!" shouted Harry, and he pulled his three friends down in just enough time to prevent them from being hit by a number of stunning spells being shot by a group of wizards that had surrounded the area.

"_STOP_!" cried a familiar voice, "_That's my_ _son_!"

Someone ran through the clearing from the circle of wizards to them.

"Mr. Weasley!" realized Hermione.

"_Dad_!" Ron gasped, "Are we glad to see _you_!"

"Harry-kun? Ron-kun?"

"Mione-kun?"

"_Dare-chan_!"

Atem, Bakura and Seth appeared and the three helped their friends up. Bakura pulled Diana into his arms and held her close.

"Are you alright?" the Tomb Robber asked her, his voice shaky.

Diana nodded, looking quickly toward the place where the strange man had been standing, to see no one. "Yeah…yeah, we're alright."

"Out of the way, all of you," said a voice.

It was Mr. Crouch: his face was taut with rage.

"Which one of you did it?" he demanded, his eyes bulging furiously at the British students, "Which one of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"Think of what you're _saying_!" Bakura barked, stepping in front of Diana, "Dare-chan and the others are fourth-year classmates of my _Hikari_: you can't _really_ think they would conjure the mark of Lord Voldemort!"

The other wizards flinched at Voldemort's name: Crouch, however, did not.

"Don't protect the _suspects_, Tomb Robber!" Mr. Crouch growled menacingly, "_Get out of the way_!"

"I will _not_ get out of the way if you _honestly_ believe that our friends are in with _Voldemort_!" Bakura shouted, his dark eyes glaring at Crouch like an angry dog picking a fight with another over a meal.

"Tomb Robber, control your temper," Atem told him in a firm, but calm voice, "We have _other_ things to worry about _besides_ fighting with each other…Mione-kun," he turned to the bookworm, "Did you see who cast the Dark Mark?"

Hermione nodded shakily and pointed toward where the man had been standing. "It was a man…I-I couldn't see his face…but he was somewhere there…he shouted an spell and the Dark Mark appeared…"

"Oh, stood over _there_, did he?" Crouch repeated, turning his popping eyes to Hermione, "Said an _incantation_, did he? You seem _very_ well-informed about how the Mark was _summoned_, missy-"

"They were _right__there_!" snapped Seth, "Don't snap at Mione-kun for giving _testimony_! Would you rather we _pointlessly_ probe four fourth-year students for evidence that _isn't_ _there_, or look for the wizard they spoke of?"

Crouch's bulging eyes bore into Seth's angrily, but he did not reply as the other wizards start swarming around the place Hermione had indicated.

"We're too late," a female voice spoke, "They'll have Disapparated…"

"I don't think so," dissented a voice Diana recognized as Mr. Diggory's, "Our Stunners went right through the trees…_yes_! We've got them! There's someone _here_, unconscious! It's…but…_blimey_…"

"You've got someone?" repeated Crouch, sounding highly disbelieving, "Who? Who is it, Amos?"

Mr. Diggory reemerged from behind a tree, carrying a limp figure dressed in an old tea towel in his arms.

"_Winky_," Atem realized, running over to Mr. Diggory.

Crouch froze at the sight of his house-elf, and didn't move or speak as Mr. Diggory placed her on the ground at his feet. When he finally spoke again, his voice was jerky, as if he were having a fit.

"This…can't…be…_no_…"

He hurried past Mr. Diggory toward where he had found Winky, pushing bushes aside and looking around.

"No _point_, Barty," Mr. Diggory called, "There's no one else _there_."

But Crouch didn't seem ready to take his word for it and continued searching without responding. Mr. Diggory stroked his rough brown beard.

"Bit _embarrassing_," he muttered grimly, "Barty Crouch's house-elf…I've never heard anything _like_ it…"

"Diggory-sama," Seth said, half annoyed and half disbelieving, "You _can't_ believe that this _house-elf_ cast the Dark Mark, that's completely _mad_! She'd need a _wand_, to start-"

"Yes," replied Mr. Diggory, "And she _had_ a wand."

"_What_?"

"Here." He held up a wand to show him. "Had it in her hand…so that's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken, High Priest: _'no non-human creature is allowed to carry or use a wand.'_"

Crouch returned to the group, looking paler than ever. As Seth took the wand from Mr. Diggory, Harry suddenly realized, "_Hey_! That's _my_ wand!"

"_Excuse_ me?" Mr. Diggory asked incredulously.

"_That's my wand_," Harry elaborated, taking it from Seth, "I dropped it."

"You _dropped_ it?" Mr. Diggory recurred, "Is this a _confession_? You _threw it aside _after you cast the Dark Mark?"

"Mr. Diggory!" Diana yelled, "This is _Harry Potter_ you're talking to! Why would he cast the Mark of the man who killed his _parents_?"

"Er…of _course_ he wouldn't," Mr. Diggory mumbled, sounding embarrassed and a bit afraid at Diana's temper flaring, "S-sorry…got carried away…"

Diana snorted like an angry horse. "_That's_ for sure."

"I didn't drop it _there_, anyway," stated Harry, "I think I dropped it when we were trying to escape from the Death Eaters…"

Yugi appeared in Atem's place. "Well, there's only _one_ way to know for _sure_ what happened…" he pointed his wand at Winky's head, "_Ennerviate_."

The house-elf blinked her large brown eyes as her vision came back into focus. She raised herself into a sitting position, looked around at all the wizards, her eyes widening in fear as she saw their suspicious expressions and the Dark Mark, and burst into terrified tears. 

"It's _okay_, Winky, it's _okay_," Yugi tried to reassure her, but Mr. Diggory wasn't tempted to be kind and instead snapped at her.

"_Elf_! Do you know who I am? I'm a member for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures! As you see, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short time ago, and you were found with _this_ wand," Mr. Diggory pointed at the wand in Harry's hand, "At the scene of the crime! An _explanation_, please!"

"I-I-I is not doing it, sir!" Winky squeaked, "I-I is finding it in the _trees_!"

"So you _found_ this wand, elf?" inquired Mr. Diggory, looking like a lion eying its prey, "_Found_ it and decided to have some _fun_ with it?"

"N-_no_!" Winky stammered, "I-I is just picking it _up_, sir! I n-n-_not_ cast the Dark Mark! I-I is not knowing _how_, sir!"

"It _wasn't_ her!" Hermione argued suddenly, "Winky's got a _squeaky_ voice, and the voice we heard was much _deeper_!" 

Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it was a _man_ speaking-"

Mr. Diggory ignored them. "_You've been caught red-handed with this wand in your hand, elf!_"

"Diggory-sama, stop this," Yugi reproached, "The spell to cast the Dark Mark wouldn't be a _mainstream_ spell people can learn…where would Winky have _learned_ it?"

"Perhaps Amos is _suggesting_," Crouch spoke suddenly in a very, very icy tone, "That I _routinely_ teach my servants how to conjure the Dark Mark?"

There was a very unpleasant silence. Mr. Diggory looked horrified.

"Mr. Crouch, _no_! _No_, not at all, I-" 

"You have now come _very_ close to accusing the two _least_ likely people to conjure that Mark," Crouch hissed dangerously, his eyes bulging once more, "_Harry Potter_…_and_ _myself_! I _trust_ you know the boy's _story_? _And_, I trust, you remember the _many_ proofs I've given over a _long_ _career_ that I _despise_ the Dark Arts and those who _practice_ them?"

"Mr. Crouch, I-I never _suggested_ you had anything to do with it-" Mr. Diggory argued fearfully.

"If you accuse my _house-elf_, you accuse _me_, Diggory!" Crouch shouted, "Where _else_ would she have learned it?"

"Sh-she could've picked it up _anywhere_-"

"_Exactly_, Amos," Mr. Weasley cut in, "_She might've picked it up anywhere_. Whoever conjured the Mark _easily_ could've dropped it after he Disapparated, and Winky was unfortunate enough to pick it up moments later. _Clever_, not to use his own wand, which could have _betrayed_ him."

"Winky," Yugi, unlike Mr. Diggory, spoke to the house-elf kindly, "Did you see anyone before you picked up the wand?"

Winky looked at Yugi, then Mr. Diggory, and then Mr. Crouch.

"I is seeing…_no one_, sir…"

"There you go," Yugi stated coolly, "If she didn't _see_ anyone, then she can't help you find the culprit. You'll have to go investigate somewhere _else_. Crouch-sama…I think you better take Winky home."

"Mr. Mutou, I _implore_ you to let _me_ handle this," Crouch replied curtly, eying Winky with a cold look, "I can _assure_ you, she _will_ be _punished_."

Winky's wide eyes filled with tears. "M-m-_master_…master, _please_…"

"Crouch-sama, she doesn't need to be _punished_ for anything!" Yugi contended, horrified at his words, "She did nothing _wrong_!"

"_I'll_ be the judge of that, Mr. Mutou," Crouch responded icily, his eyes not leaving Winky's terrified face, "I _told_ her to remain in her tent while I went to sort out the _trouble_, and she disobeyed me. _This means clothes_."

"_No_!" shrieked Winky, prostrating herself at Crouch's feet, "_No_, master! _Not_ clothes, _not clothes_!"

Yugi stared at Winky sobbing pitifully at Crouch's feet, looking shocked. "_Crouch-sama_, you _can't_-"

"C'mon, Yugi," muttered Mr. Weasley, "This isn't our business. Let's go."

"He _can't_ just-" Hermione started, but Ron put a hand on her shoulder.

"There's nothing we can do," he murmured, "We've got to find the others."

So the group sadly left the clearing under the shining green Dark Mark, trying to ignore the hysterical sobbing and pleading of Crouch's loyal, but unfortunate, house-elf.

* * *

**Yugi: (pouts) Poor Winky...**

**Bakura: Don't go wasting your sympathy on that little thing.**

**Yugi: Why not, because freeing her was a test of her strength and it ended helping her out in long-run?**

**Bakura: (glares) No, because you should be worrying about my _sanity _now that both sides of Tory, Kitty _and _Lina, are singing Evanescence.**

**Kitty: (singing) _Wake me up inside! __Wake me up inside! Call my name and save me from the dark!_**

**Bakura: (covers his ears) GARG, WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?**

**Yugi: Steal from tombs and try to collect all seven Millennium Items to take over the world?**

**Bakura: (glares at Yugi) Shut up.**

**Yugi: (sticks his tongue out) R&R! **


	8. Chapter 7: Back to Hogwarts

**Kitty: I need a life besides typing a chapter every day and waiting to post them so a nice amount of people can read and review! (sighs and falls onto her bed)**

**Yugi: My poor angsty Kitten. (strokes her hair)**

**Cedric: (singing under his breath) _I'm too sexy for my shirt...too sexy for my shirt..._ (looks up at Kitty's and Yugi's surprised looks) Not _really_! I just heard it off an AMV Lina was listening to! She was laughing really hard too...don't really know why. **

**Atem: Who was the AMV about? Me?**

**Cedric: No...it was that brown-haired guy you and Yugi hang out with.**

**Yugi: KAIBA-KUN?**

**Atem: (is rolling on the floor with laughter) **

**Kitty: (chuckles) Well, that makes me feel a bit better... (posts the chapter) R&R!

* * *

**

_** Chapter Seven:**_

_**Back to Hogwarts**_

The Brits and the Japanese boys were glad to leave Foxhole Grounds and return to the Burrow the next morning. Mrs. Weasley had been quite worried about them after the Daily Prophet came with a large headline about the Dark Mark's appearance, and Mr. Weasley and Percy, as well as the rest of the Ministry of Magic, quickly had to deal with a lot of fuss from the public after such reporters as the fact-twisting gossip reporter Rita Skeeter started writing stuff criticizing the Ministry for what happened.

"That's _stupid_," Bakura snapped when Mr. Weasley read Rita Skeeter's latest article (_'Ministry Security Too Lax to Catch Dark Wizards'_) out loud, "If the Ministry _had_ the ability to catch Dark wizards at the World Cup, then those Death Eaters would've been caught when Voldemort _first_ fell and they wouldn't be a problem _today_."

The students' school supply lists arrived by owl the day they returned to the Burrow, and along with their normal textbooks, they were required to buy a set of dress robes. Dress robes weren't really much more than different colored school robes with a bit of decoration here and there…for Ron, however, _"a bit of decoration here and there" _meant "_moldy-looking lace on the neck-line and cuffs,"_ because Mrs. Weasley had to buy his maroon dress robes second-hand and there weren't many affordable choices.

"I'm _not_ wearing that," Ron said stubbornly, "_Ever_."

"_Fine_," snapped Mrs. Weasley, "Go _naked_. And Harry, get a picture of him: goodness _knows_ I could use a _laugh_."

With that, she slammed the door to Ron's room behind her.

The youngest Weasley boy sighed. "Why is everything I own _rubbish_?"

On September 1st, the Brits, the Japanese boys and the Weasleys still in school boarded the scarlet Hogwarts Empress on Platform 9 ¾, and once more started their journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The fourth-years and Mokuba said goodbye to Ginny, Fred and George and headed down to the end of the train to find an empty compartment for them to squish into. At last they found one, and they all settled in for the long ride to Hogwarts as rain plummeted against the windows of the train to leave water marks only worthy of the shapes the students would find while reading tea leaves in Professor Trelawney's Divination class.

Hermione had taken out a book (_An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe_) and was reading. Ron was teaching Mokuba how to play Wizard's Chess as Seto gave his little brother hints on moves. Harry had finally finished constructing his Duel Monsters deck over the summer and was eager to test it out, so he and Diana started a duel in the corner while Marik, Yugi and Ryou watched them.

Diana had a slight lead: with her Dark/Light/Effect deck, she had dwindled Harry's lifepoints to 900, but he'd played some good combos with his Wind/Dragon deck and brought her lifepoints down to 1200.

"I play Spirit of the Breeze in attack mode," stated Harry as he laid the card on the field, "By her effect, if I can keep her in attack mode for one turn, I gain 1000 lifepoints."

"_If_," Diana reminded him, "And your card has 0 attack points."

"Yeah," Harry assented, "But I play the magic card Swords of Revealing Light, so you can't attack for three turns."

"Good move."

Diana drew a card. "I play a card facedown and end my turn. Your move."

"I gain 1000 lifepoints," Harry muttered as he drew, "And I sacrifice Spirit of the Breeze to summon Hyozanryu, and I attack your Rapid Fire Magician, bringing your lifepoints down to 700. I end my turn."

Diana drew, and her face broke into a smile. "Sorry, Harry…but I win. First, I play De-Spell, which I use to destroy your Swords of Revealing Light. Next, I summon Mataza the Zapper. This card can attack your lifepoints directly, so your lifepoints go down to 600. Finally I play the magic card Reborn the Monster to bring back my Guardian Angel Joan, and I attack your Hyozanryu, wiping out the rest of your lifepoints."

Harry smirked. "Good move. _Next_ time, though, I'm going to _beat_ you."

"Oh _really_?" challenged Diana, raising an eyebrow.

"_Yeah_, really," Harry assented, "My dragons will kick your ass."

"They _will_, will they?"

"You better believe it."

"Are you really _that_ sure, Potter?"

"A hell of a lot more sure than _you_ are, Randall."

"We'll see about _that_!"

Diana wrapped an arm about Harry's neck and gave him a noogie. The Boy Who Lived struggled to get free, but he was laughing all the same.

"_Hey_…let _go_, Dare!"

"_Aw_, does the _famous_ Harry Potter not _like_ his hair getting messed up?" Diana teased as she mussed up his jet-black hair so that it was even messier than usual.

"C'mon, Dare, I _give_!" choked Harry, "I _give_! You _win_!"

Diana let go of her friend and grinned. "'Bout _time_ you admitted it, Potter."

"I can _still_ kick your ass at _Quidditch_."

"You _wish_."

The door opened, and in came Neville Longbottom, a Gryffindor classmate of Yugi and the Brits.

"Hi Dare," he greeted, "Hi Yugi…any room here?"

"No," Yugi answered, frowning sympathetically, "Sorry, Neville-kun."

"Wait a sec, Yugi," muttered Diana.

She was looking up at the suitcase racks above Yugi, Harry, Hermione and the Kaiba brothers' heads. Then, without warning, she jumped up into the racks and lay sideways along the suitcases.

"_Voila_!" she declared, waving her hand to her old seat, "We have room!"

"Are you sure you'll be _comfortable_ up there, Dare?" Neville asked, looking nervously up at her.

"I've been in a _hell_ of a lot more uncomfortable places than up _here_, Neville," Diana assured him, looking around the compartment with a smile, "Actually it's kinda _fun_: I can look _down_ on you all!"

Neville smiled and sat down in Diana's seat.

"So how's your summer been, Neville?" inquired Harry.

"Not that exciting," sighed Neville, "I _really_ wanted to go to the Quidditch World Cup, but Gran said no. It sounded _amazing_, though."

"It was," assented Mokuba as he took one of Ron's rooks, "You wouldn't have disappointed if you'd gone, Neville-kun, it was _fantastic_."

"You all went?" Neville asked, looking envious.

Ron, barely paying attention to his and Mokuba's game now that Neville had brought up the World Cup, nodded fervently. "Check _this_ out."

He showed Neville his souvenir: the salesman called it a miniature, detailed model of Viktor Krum, but it looked more like a Muggle action figure to Diana. Neville, however, looked delighted.

"_Wow_, that's so _cool_, Ron! Did you actually _see_ Krum?"

"Yeah," responded Ron, "Right up _close_ too, we were in the Top Box-"

"For the first and last time in your _life_, Weasley."

Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway Neville had accidentally left open, with his enormous cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, right behind him.

Hermione looked up from _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe_ in annoyance. "I don't recall asking _you_ to join us, Malfoy."

Malfoy wasn't paying attention: he was instead looking up at the suitcase rack opposite to the one Diana was lying across.

"_Weasley_…what is _that_?"

He pointed to Ron's suitcase: a moldy, lacy sleeve of the redhead's maroon dress robes was dangling from it.

Ron made to stuff it back in, but Malfoy had seized the sleeve first and yanked the robes out.

"_Look at this_!" he crowed in ecstasy as he showed the robes to Crabbe and Goyle, "Weasley, you weren't thinking about _wearing_ these, were you? I mean…they were fashionable around _1890_!"

"Eat dung, Malfoy!" Ron retorted, as he snatched them back from Malfoy and blushed the same maroon color as the robes.

Malfoy smirked at him and asked coolly, "So…going to _enter_, Weasley? Going to try to bring a bit of _glory_ to the family name? There's plenty of _money_ involved: might be able to afford some decent _robes_ if you won…"

"What are you talking about?" inquired Ron.

"_Are you going to enter_?" Malfoy repeated, "I expect Potter and Mutou will…they _never_ miss a chance to show off-"

"Either _explain_ yourself or get _out_, Malfoy," Ryou advised testily.

A gleeful smirk appeared on Malfoy's face.

"Don't tell me you don't _know_! Weasley's got a brother _and_ a father in the Ministry and he _doesn't know_? Merlin, _my_ father told me about it _ages_ ago…heard it from Cornelius Fudge himself. But then, Father's _always_ been associated with top people at the Ministry: maybe your father's too _junior_ to know about it, Weasley…and what about you, Ran-?"

He looked around the compartment confusedly for Diana, obviously hoping to mock her too and wondering why she was not sitting with her friends.

"_Yoo-hoo_," sang Diana from the suitcase rack.

Malfoy looked up in surprise at hearing her voice, and Diana waved down at him cheerfully. The Slytherin quickly recovered from his surprise.

"What are you doing up _there_?" he scorned, "Finally realized that you're so low you belong more with people's _luggage_ than people _themselves_?"

"No, just getting a different view of the world," Diana answered, still pretending to be cheerful, "I look down on you all the time, but now I can do it more than just _figuratively_. Actually, now that I _think_ about it…"

Artemis's Heir climbed down from the suitcase rack and stood in front of Malfoy, and she was delighted to see she'd grown a head taller than him over the summer.

"_Aw_, how _cute_," Diana mocked, "A chibi enemy is _always_ adorable to watch in Muggle TV shows…maybe _now_ we'll have a bit more of a _laugh_ when you come to bother us."

Marik and Yugi laughed.

"Shut up, Randall!" snapped Malfoy, obviously not knowing what _"chibi"_ meant, but guessing it meant something like _"little,"_ "I'm _not_ a-"

He stopped in mid-sentence, for Diana had rested her head on top of his to accent their height difference.

"_Chibi Slytherins_," she chuckled, "Hey Seto, you think you could make a little ride at Kaiba Land where the Chibi Slytherins could sing and dance to an annoying children's song? The Muggles might enjoy it."

"They have that already at Tokyo Disney, Dare-kun," Seto pointed out with a smirk, "And yet…_your_ version of the idea sounds more _amusing_."

Malfoy's face was a bright rose color: he shoved Diana off him, muttered something to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three left the compartment sulkily.

As soon as they were gone, everyone roared with laughter.

"That was _awesome_!" Neville choked through his laughter, "I've got to hang out with you all more _often_!"

* * *

**Yugi: YAY! DUELING! (grins in an adorable chibi-like way)**

**Atem: (still roaring with laughter because of the "Sexy Kaiba" AMV)**

**Kitty: I could just see Harry with a Wind/Dragon deck. I mean, he likes Quidditch so damn much...**

**Yugi: Is there going to be more dueling, Kitten?**

**Kitty: Maybe...hopefully if my theory for the end works with the seventh book, we'll see some more dueli...whoops, said too much! (goes off into the corner and twindles her thumbs)**

**Cedric: (peace sign) R&R! **


	9. Chapter 8: Another Not So Normal Year

**Kitty: La la la la la...next chapter.**

**Yugi: Sooner than you thought?**

**Kitty: (nods) I think enough people read it...only wish Emessa could.**

**Atem: Why, what's wrong with her?**

**Kitty: Apparently her computer is screwed up and she can't get on...well, hopefully she'll be able to read and review soon, I miss her darkly wonderful opinions.**

**Bakura: So do I.**

**Atem: Because you're one of her bishies.**

**Bakura: And because she rocks times forever. **

**Kitty: (blinks) That sounds like something I would say... (shrugs) Well, I second it, at any rate.**

**Yugi: R&R!**

**

* * *

**  
_**Chapter Eight:**_

_**Another Not-So-Normal Year**_

By the time they had arrived in the Hogwarts entrance hall, the Brits, the Japanese boys and Neville were all soaking wet. The rain that had splattered against the windows of the train seemed to work twice as hard to pound down on them when they got out and scrambled to get inside the carriages that would drive them up to Hogwarts. It also must've decided to take a break while they were inside the carriages before getting right back to work when they opened their carriage door again to exit them and run inside.

"_Blimey_," muttered Ron, "I wouldn't be surprised if the lake overflows and _floods_ us all at this rate…_AH_!"

A huge red water balloon had just fallen down from the ceiling and onto Ron's head, exploding with a _SPLASH_ and drenching him with even more water. If he'd looked drenched before, he looked like a drowned rat now. A few more brightly colored water balloons followed the first, one barely missing Marik and another bursting at Harry's feet.

"_PEEVES_!" yelled an angry voice, "Peeves, come down here _now_!"

Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor house, Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration professor, dashed over, only to skid across the wet floor and almost fall over: fortunately Seto, the only student who could equal her in height, put an arm out for her to grab onto and steady herself.

"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba," muttered McGonagall, before barking up at the ceiling, "Peeves, get down here _right_ _now,_ or I call the Headmaster!"

The poltergeist appeared, wearing a bell-adorned hat and an ugly orange bowtie: some more colored water balloons were cradled under his arm.

"Not doing _nothing_!" he cackled, "Already _wet_, aren't they, Professorhead? Little _squirts_! _WHEEEEEEE_!"

He lobbed another one of his balloons toward Mokuba, Ginny and some of their underclassmen friends. Mokuba, however, smirked in great imitation of his older brother, raised his wand and shouted, "_Protego_!"

A white shield appeared in front of the group, making the balloon bounce off and instead explode back onto Peeves. Mokuba's classmates applauded, and Seto smirked at his little brother.

"That should teach you, Peeves, _not_ to mess with a Kaiba," the CEO mocked, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement.

Peeves blew a large raspberry and started to retreat, but not before sneakily chucking the remainder of his water balloons, one by one, into Seto's back.

"WHY YOU…" roared Seto, "YOU DAMN POLTERGUIST, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, I'LL-"

He stopped at the alarm on Mokuba's classmates' faces and the sheepish look on Mokuba's face. Quickly he forced his face into a tranquil, unSetoish smile, cleared his throat and gestured to the doors to the Great Hall.

"_Ahem_…shall we?"

Mokuba, Ginny and Seto's friends all sweatdropped, but everyone followed McGonagall into the Great Hall all the same.

It was as beautiful as ever. The golden goblets and plates gleamed by the light of the candles floating in the air around the four house tables crowded with chattering students. Toward the back of the Hall was the high table where the professors could face the student tables. The school ghosts were gliding around like semi-transparent dancers flying to a haunting ballet: one of them, the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, drifted over to the friends as they sat together at the Gryffindor table so the licensed Japanese wizards could magically heat-dry their and their friends' clothes.

"Good evening," the ghost greeted cheerfully, "Bit _wet_ out there, eh?"

Ron glowered at Nick as Ryou held his wand underneath his damp sleeves to slowly dry them. "_Nah_…ya think?"

Hermione poked him in the side with her elbow as Marik tried to stop her hair from dripping and soaking her drying clothes all over again.

"_Hey_! Hey, _Seto_! _Yugi_!"

Seto, already in a bad mood thanks to Peeves soaking him with water balloons, now looked even crabbier when he heard the voice behind him. He quickly tried to hide his annoyance as he turned to look at Colin Creevey, a third-year who always seemed to be asking for a photo of him and Yugi.

"Uh…konnichiwa, Colin-kun," replied Yugi, looking like he too was anticipating even more fanaticism from Colin.

"Seto, guess what?" Colin asked, positively bouncing with excitement, "Guess what, Seto? My brother's _starting_! My brother Dennis!"

"_Oh_," said Seto, looking quite relieved Colin wasn't asking for his autograph again, but not looking thrilled at the thought of having _two_ fanatic stalkers at Hogwarts, "Er…_good_. _Great_."

"He's _really_ excited!" piped Colin, "I hope he's in Gryffindor with me…no offense to _you_, of course, Seto! Keep your fingers crossed, eh Yugi?"

"Uh…hai!" Yugi assented uncomfortably, "_Hai_, of _course_."

The two top duelists looked glad to say goodbye to Colin Creevey and turn back to their friends as the Sorting started. Dennis Creevey did in fact join Gryffindor house with his older brother, and when the Sorting was over, Dumbledore sensed that everyone was very hungry and tired, so he announced only two words, "_Tuck in_," and let them eat before he gave out his normal set of pre-term notices.

"Creevey-kun didn't really have _that_ much to _worry_ about, did he?" inquired Mokuba, "I mean…he and his brother grew _up_ together…they can't be _that_ different from each other…"

"Siblings aren't _always_ the same house, Mokuba," remarked Hermione, "After all, Parvati Patil's a Gryffindor, but her twin Padma's a Ravenclaw."

Mokuba smiled. "Guess Seto and I were lucky, then."

Diana, however, wasn't paying attention to the conversation: she'd be looking up at the high table for the last few minutes and took this moment to say, "Guys…the new Dark Arts teacher isn't here."

"What?" said Ryou, looking up as well, "_Hey_…you're _right_!"

"Maybe he's like Trelawney-sensei or something," suggested Yugi, "She doesn't like leaving her room for meals-"

"Because she's a great A _nutcase_ who thinks she's a _Seer_," scorned Diana, "If _that's_ our new teacher's excuse, I should write to my dad and ask if I can be home-schooled with _him_ instead."

"Take me too," Harry joshed.

"Me three," added Ron with a grin.

Hermione scowled at the three. "You _shouldn't_ go judging our new teacher like _that_…you don't even know who he _is_ yet."

"But tardiness tends to show a lack of _manners_, Mione-kun," dissented Marik darkly, "If all _else_, our new sensei lacks _punctuality_, and in Japan, we look _down_ on that."

The other duelists nodded. Hermione crossed her arms, shaking her head.

"He'll be a _great_ teacher, Marik, if _Dumbledore_ chose him…you wait and see, I'll bet he's _just_ like all our _normal_-"

She never got to finish, for at that moment, the doors of the Great Hall banged open just in time for a rumble of thunder to proclaim the arrival of the man in the doorway.

The man was shrouded in a black traveling cloak, and had a long mane of grizzly gray hair and a face covered with countless scars and gashes. The most bizarre thing about him, however, were his eyes: his left was a normal brown eye, but his right was a vivid electric blue that had to be magical to unblinkingly swerve around the room independently of the other eye.

There was a silence, before the man started to walk toward the high table. The dull _clunk_ that echoed through the hall in rhythm to his steps told Diana one of his legs was wooden.

Finally he reached Dumbledore. They shook hands and muttered some quiet words between each other before the stranger settled into the only empty seat at the high table: the one that had been left open for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

The Japanese boys, Ron, Harry and Diana all looked at Hermione with a look that translated as _"Oh yeah, he's really normal, Mione."_

_/This guy is our new professor?.../_ Artemis's Heir wondered, _/Who is he? He must be someone special to make Dumbledore ignore his looks and hire him/_

Dumbledore smiled brightly at the surprised looks on the students' faces. "May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? This is Professor Moody."

The silence eventually began to give way to surprised titters from the students: Diana's eyes widened as she looked at Ron.

"_Moody_?" she murmured, "He hired _Mad Eye Moody_ to teach us?"

Ron too looked astonished.

"What's so special about this _'Mad Eye'_ person?" asked Ryou, "_Besides_ the fact he has a really creepy mad eye, of course."

"He's a retired Auror," answered Ron, "A _brilliant_ one in his day too…"

"One of the best Aurors there ever was," commented Diana, "I'd bet half the cells in Azkaban are filled because of him. He made himself _plenty_ of enemies doing that, though….mostly families of the wizards he caught…so _now_ he's older and…_well_, he's a bit _mad_."

Ron snorted. "That's putting it _lightly_. He's a complete, paranoid _nut_. Doesn't trust _anyone_ anymore…I heard he even put traps around his front door to stop people from entering by stealth, but all the people _he's_ trapped with those things were mailmen and stuff."

"Well, any Death Eater dumb enough to go after Mad Eye Moody would _deserve_ it," Diana remarked, "If they're dumb enough to underestimate him _and_ get caught by those traps, they'd _deserve_ knowing how dumb they are by hanging upside down in the air."

It was here Dumbledore spoke for a second time, making the students turn back around to face him once more.

"So…now that we're all fed and watered…I have a _very_ important announcement. It is my _painful_ duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will _not_ take place this year-"

There was uproar from the House Quidditch players. Diana saw Fred and George mouthing soundlessly, obviously too appalled to speak, and Harry looking like he'd just been told he wasn't a wizard after all and would have to return to the Dursleys. When she noticed Malfoy at the Slytherin table, however, he didn't look shocked at all, and instead was smirking smugly.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "As I was _saying_…the Quidditch Cup will _not_ be taking place because we are to host a very special event over the upcoming months: an event that has not been held in over a _century_. It is my great pleasure to announce that the Triwizard Tournament will be hosted at Hogwarts this year!"

There was a series of gasps, cheers and applause from the students.

"You're _JOKING_!" shouted Fred.

"I can't _believe_ it," muttered Diana.

Harry looked at her. "What's the Triwizard-?"

But Diana held up a hand to quiet him. "Dumbledore will explain, I'm sure."

He did indeed.

"The Triwizard Tournament is a contest between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. One champion is chosen to represent each school in a series of dangerous magical tasks. These three schools took turns hosting the Tournament, and it used to be a way to promote relationships between different nations…"

"Understandable why Dumbledore-sensei wants to expand foreign relations," Marik muttered amusedly, "I mean, right _now_, the only foreign people he has is an Egyptian ex-Tomb Keeper and three Japanese guys with _voices_ in their heads…"

"_Hey_!" the three Yamis snapped in unison, and Ron hissed at them to be quiet so he could hear what Dumbledore was saying.

"…Until the death toll mounted so high the tournament was discontinued."

"_Death toll_?" Hermione repeated as a horrified whisper.

Not many others in the Great Hall seemed to be concerned, though: most were whispering excitedly.

Dumbledore continued his explanation over the escalating whispers.

"There have been unsuccessful attempts to reopen the Tournament in the past, but _now_, thanks to our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports, it's time to try this again, and we as well as Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have worked _very_ hard to make _this_ attempt a _successful_ one. The other schools performing in this tournament will bring a handful of contenders with them in October, and an impartial judge will make the selection of one student per school on Halloween night. The competition's prize is the Triwizard Cup, eternal glory for their school and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

_/Not too hard to figure out why people want to be in this thing so bad/ _thought Diana, _/Most people would love to win those things/_

"This thing sounds cool," stated the transparent Bakura, a smirk appearing on his face, "Hikari, we're entering this thing."

"_Hell_ no!" Ryou retorted, "I'm not going to go off and get myself _killed_, thank you very much!"

Bakura glared. "_C'mon_ Hikari…take a chance for _once_ in your pathetic life, will you? Death's not the _worst_ thing that can happen to you."

"Easy for _you_ to say, since you're already _dead_," vilified Ryou.

Dumbledore raised a hand to quiet down the students so he could carry on.

"Eager though I'm sure you are to win the Triwizard Cup for Hogwarts, the heads of the participating schools, as well as the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only those who are of age…that's seventeen and older…will be allowed to put forth their names. _This_," he spoke a little louder to stop the students from shouting in anger, "is a measure we feel is _necessary_, and I will make _sure_ our judge can't be _hoodwinked_ by a younger student to let them compete," he eyed the annoyed-looking Weasley twins with an twinkle in his eyes, "So I _beg_ you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you're under age. The students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in a month, and I know you will extend _every_ courtesy to our foreign guests while they are here with us, and that you will give your support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. Now that _that_ is said, I shall let you go off to bed so you will be well rested for your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Spit spot!"

So the students slowly got up from the house tables and filed out of the Great Hall, whispering among themselves about the Triwizard Tournament.

Diana looked back up at the high table to see Dumbledore had started talking to Mad Eye Moody again.

_/I wonder how Dumbledore knows Moody so well/_ Diana thought to herself, _/They do seem to have a nice amount to talk about…/_

And it was as she was absently watching them that Moody looked across the room and made eye contact with her.

Diana attempted a smile at him, before turning and hurrying to catch up with her friends again.

* * *

**Kitty: End chapter.**

**Yugi: (listening to YouTube in another window) Hey, Kitty...the link Rainbow gave us has a different me and Yami video than the one you like.**

**Kitty: Yeah...the one I found is for you as a ship. (to Rainbow) The video I've seen similar to the one you told me about you can find by searching for "Every Time We Touch YamixYugi." I like the one you showed me, but this one I like a little better. Hope you like it too. (grins)**

**Atem: R&R!  
**


	10. Chapter 9: Follow the Bouncing Ferret

**Kitty: (frowns) I guess everyone's on vacation: only Rainbow and Claire reviewed. (smiles again) But as they know, I love them to _pieces_, and I can't wait to see what everyone else thinks when they review! **

**Cedric: (enters) Hey Kitty...you posting the next chapter? **

**Kitty: Yeppers! (giggles) And I'm _very _pleased with it.**

**Cedric: Oh? Why?**

**Kitty: Look at the title.**

**Cedric: (does so) _Ohhhhh_, I see. (grins) _That _will be amusing.**

**Yugi: (comes in) What will be amusing? Frying Snape in the grease of his own hair on the barbeque? **

**Kitty: Better! Read the chapter title.**

**Yugi: (does so and smirks) _YES_! One of the best parts in the whole book. I'm sure you're happy about this, Neko-chan.**

**Kitty: Indeed!**

**Noa: (enters) Is it time for the ferret chapter yet, Kitty?**

**Kitty: Just finished it!**

**Noa: (punches the air) ALRIGHT! (to audience) R&R!**

**

* * *

_Chapter Nine:_**

_**Follow the Bouncing Ferret**_

Skies were clear the next morning as the Japanese boys and the Brits headed off for their normal classes. First the Gryffindors had Herbology with Ryou and the Hufflepuffs in the greenhouses. The very friendly Professor Sprout split them up into groups so they could squeeze bubotubers to collect their pus. 

"Their _what_?" Seamus Finnigan repeated, sounding revolted.

"Pus," explained Ryou, "When used properly, it can help with reducing pimples and such."

_-I know a few girls would love to know that-_ Bakura muttered, _-Is that perhaps why you know that, Hikari? Your poor girly mind couldn't bear the thought of having a little blackhead?-_

_/Shut up/_ Ryou hissed irritably, hating that his Yami was calling him girly.

Professor Sprout nodded toward Ryou. "Correct, five points to Hufflepuff. Yes, as Mr. Bakura said, it can help with more stubborn forms of acne…wear your dragon-hide gloves, though: it can do funny things to the skin, undiluted bubotuber pus…"

After Herbology, the Gryffindors had Care of Magical Creatures with their friend, Hagrid the gamekeeper. They were paired up with the Slytherins this time, so Marik was there to greet them when they arrived. However, when they learned about what Hagrid had to teach them about, even the Brits, Yugi and Marik had their misgivings.

"_Eugh_!" squealed Lavender Brown, "What the hell _are_ those things?"

"Blast-Ended Shrewts," Hagrid replied cheerfully, "Only jus' hatched, so yeh'll be able to raise them yerselves!"

"And why would we _want_ to raise them?" demanded Malfoy coldly, "Who'd want something that can burn, sting and bite all at once?"

Even Harry, Yugi, Marik and Ron couldn't help but secretly agree with Malfoy: the sixth-inch long, lobster-like creatures with fiery tails, pointy stings and suckers on their bellies didn't look very safe.

Diana, however, quickly came to Hagrid's aid. "Just because they're not very _pretty_ and a bit _dangerous_ doesn't mean they're not _useful_! Dragon blood has lots of magical properties, but would _you_ want a pet dragon?"

Harry exchanged a smile with Ron, thinking of the baby dragon Hagrid had hatched in their first year and christened _"Norbert,"_ only to have Norbert think Diana was its mum.

Their next class was Divination with Seto and the Ravenclaws. Diana was not surprised when Trelawney immediately took the beginning of class to mournfully remind Harry of his impending death.

"You were _clearly_ born under the _baleful_ influence of _Saturn_, my dear," Trelawney told him in a misty tone, "You _must_ have for it to have such _power_ over your life: your dark hair…your mean stature…tragic losses so _young_ in life…I believe I'm correct in saying, my dear, that you were born in midwinter?"

"No," replied Harry with a smile, "I was born in July."

Seth and Ron laughed. Trelawney eyed them reproachfully from behind her large glasses. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, two of Trelawney's favorite students, whispered among each other, and then glared at them too.

A half hour later, the class was working on complex circular charts that would help them determine the position of the planets in the twelve astrological houses during their birth.

Yugi looked down at Diana's star chart, muttering to himself. "_Hmm_…if you place the planets in houses, they have to be in the order of the signs the planets _govern_…so if Scorpio's planet, Pluto, is in your _first_ house…then Sagittarius's planet, Jupiter, would be in your _second_ house…"

"This is _stupid_," Diana growled under her breath, "It'd be more _sensible_ to have the signs arranged by the order of the planets they're _governed_ by."

Yugi chuckled. "You _really_ think the bakayrous who made up this crap cared about _sense_, Dare-kun?"

Diana smiled slightly as Trelawney came over and looked over Yugi's shoulder at Diana's star chart.

"My, my, my," she murmured under her breath, looking at Diana with her highly-magnified eyes, "Such _conflicting_ sun and moon signs…I see you have a lot of inner _torment_, my dear…"

When the professor was out of earshot, Diana peered at her star chart.

"She's right," she muttered sarcastically, "The source of my inner torment is a teacher with large bug eyes and dressed like a Muggle fortune teller."

After class, Seto, Yugi and the Brits met up with Hermione outside the Divination hallway to head toward the Great Hall for lunch when a voice called out behind them.

"_Oi_! Weasley!"

Diana turned around to scowl at a rather satisfied-looking Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. She quickly noticed that Malfoy was holding a clipping from the _Daily Prophet_.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" snapped Ron.

"Your dad's in the _paper_, Weasley!" Malfoy spoke loudly so everyone around the entrance hall could hear him, brandishing the newspaper clipping at Ron, "Listen to this!"

* * *

_**FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**_

_**It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, **writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent__**. Recently under fire for poor security at the Quidditch World Cup and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its employees, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.**

* * *

_

Malfoy looked up from his reading to smirk at Ron. "Imagine them not even getting his _name_ right, Weasley…it's almost as if he's a complete _nonentity_, isn't it?"

He seemed to adore the fact everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Ron's face was a bright, angry crimson as Malfoy continued reading in his mocking tone,

* * *

_**Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody, the retired ex-Auror who no longer can tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival to Mr. Moody's heavily-guarded home, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the "policemen," but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.**

* * *

_

"And there's a _picture_, Weasley, look!" laughed Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up, "A picture of your parents and your house…if you can even _call_ it a house! Your mother could do with losing some _weight_, couldn't she?"

Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was watching him to see how he would respond: some of the Slytherins were laughing.

"Shut the hell up, Malfoy," Diana snarled, "All that Rita Skeeter writes is rubbish. She calls it an _embarrassing_ _scene_ when Mr. Weasley decides to go over and help Moody when he could possibly be in _danger_…I wonder what she would call your father handing Marik Tom Riddle's diary to make it look like he opened the Chamber of Secrets?"

Malfoy's smirk faded as he glared at Diana. "And I wonder what she'd call _you_ killing that Muggle girl."

Diana's eyes flashed a furious red.

"At least Dare-kun felt _regretful_ for that, Malfoy," retorted Seto coldly as he stepped forward, "Unlike your _parents_ when they were levitating Muggles back at the World Cup!"

Malfoy smirked. "Tell me, Kaiba, is Weasley's mother _really_ that porky, or is it just the _picture_?"

Yugi and Hermione had grabbed the back of Ron's robes so he couldn't jump on Malfoy and start beating him up in the middle of the entrance hall.

"And what about _your_ mother, Malfoy?" inquired Harry, his eyes daggers, "That expression she's got, like she's got _dung_ under her nose…is that how she _always_ looks, or is it just because _you_ were with her?"

Malfoy's cheeks went a very light pink.

"Don't you _dare_ insult my mother, Potter."

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," Diana hissed at him, before adding to Harry, "C'mon, let's go…"

They turned and started to head toward the Great Hall.

_BANG_!

Several people screamed: Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face: Diana pulled her wand out of her pocket, but before she could turn around and jinx Malfoy into oblivion, there was a second _BANG_.

"_OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE_!" roared a voice.

It was Professor Moody: he limped down the marble stairs, his wand out and pointing at a pure white ferret shivering on the stone floor exactly where Malfoy had been standing.

Yugi stared at the terrified ferret in bewilderment. "I-is _that_…?"

"_Malfoy_?" Seto and Hermione realized in unison.

Ron looked ready to burst out laughing, but he was still a bit too shocked to speak. Moody's normal brown eye looked at Harry while his other blue one looked out through the back of his head, likely keeping an eye behind him at Malfoy the ferret.

"Did he get you?" he asked as a quiet growl.

"No," answered Harry, "Missed."

"_LEAVE IT_!" Moody shouted suddenly at Crabbe when he tried to pick up the white ferret.

The professor stepped toward them: the ferret that had been Malfoy gave a terrified squeak and tried to take off toward the dungeons.

"_I don't think so_!" yelled Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret once more.

The ferret was suddenly blasted about ten feet into the air. It fell onto the ground with a _SMACK_, before being bounced upward again.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back is turned," murmured Moody, glaring at the ferret as it bounced up and down in squeals of pain, "_Stinking_, _cowardly_ thing to do…"

Diana watched the ferret fly up and down through the air, trying very hard not to laugh as she reasoned Malfoy was probably in a lot of pain…but right then, his pain, after insulting Ron's family and shooting a spell at Harry when his back was turned, seemed to only cheer her up even more.

"_Never_…_do_…_that_…_again_," Moody spoke one word in the statement for each time the ferret hit the stone floor and shot back up again.

"_Professor Moody_!"

McGonagall ran down the marble steps, looking shocked.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Moody greeted calmly, still bouncing the ferret higher and higher into the air.

"What…what the _devil_ are you _doing_?" McGonagall demanded, her eyes following the path of the bouncing ferret.

"Teaching," Moody replied.

"Teach…_Moody, is that a student_?" shrieked the Transfiguration professor.

"Technically it's a _ferret_," stated Moody.

"_No_!" cried McGonagall.

She took out her wand, there was a loud _SNAP_ and Malfoy reappeared in a heap on the floor, his usually sleek blond hair falling all over his now brilliantly pink face.

"We do _not_ use Transfiguration as a _punishment_, Professor Moody!" McGonagall told him weakly, "_Surely_ Professor Dumbledore _told_ you that!"

"Might've mentioned it," Moody said unconcernedly, "Think _this_ worked out _better_ though…"

"We give _detentions_, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"_Oh_?" asked Moody, limping forward with a _clunk_ of his wooden leg and eying Malfoy with dislike, "I'll do that, then…come on up, boy…"

Malfoy, his eyes watering with pain, looked malevolently up at Moody and struggled to stand, muttering something about his father not tolerating this.

"Oh yeah?" murmured Moody darkly, "_Believe_ me, I know _plenty_ about that _father_ of yours, boy…you tell him from me that Mad Eye Moody's got a _close_ _eye_ on his son…and your Head of House is _Snape_, is it?"

"Yes," Malfoy said resentfully.

"Another old _friend_…I've been meaning to have a _chat_ with old _Snape_…come on now, you…"

He grabbed Malfoy's arm and marched him off toward the dungeons. The other students headed into the Great Hall and sat down at their tables.

"Malfoy's in _trouble_!" Hermione whispered gleefully, "I could _sing_!"

"Please…_don't_," teased Yugi, and the other Gryffindors laughed.

Ron's fingers were jabbed in his ears to try and block out his friends' talking and his face scrunched up in immense concentration.

"What's up with _you_, Ron?" inquired Diana, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Don't talk to me," murmured Ron.

"Why not?" asked Harry.

"Because I want to fix that into my mind forever…_'Draco Malfoy, the Amazing, Bouncing Ferret.'_"

* * *

**Yugi and Noa: (roaring with laughter)**

**Cedric: (laughing too) THAT WAS _AWESOME_, KITTY!  
**

**Kitty: (smiles) Thanks, Cedric-chan! (to Rainbow) To your question, my loverly, they may be in different houses, but they aren't forced to stay at their house table, so they can move as they wish. You'll notice Marik sits with the Gryffindors a lot since he doesn't like sitting at the Slytherin table...the others just stayed because they settled in there to dry off their and their friends' clothes and didn't feel like moving. (smirks) Wouldn't surprise _me _to see Kaiba being _lazy_...nah, I'm kidding. Sort of. But not really. (sticks her tongue out playfully) By the way, that Dark Magician outfit Atem was wearing in the video is in the short mini-series that follows the end of the series called Yu-Gi-Oh Capsule Monsters. If you search for it on YouTube, you can see the first part of it.  
**

**Yugi: (humming _'Every Time We Touch'_) Hey Neko-chan...this is your last update until you go out to California, isn't it?**

**Kitty: (nods) But I'll be taking my already-completed chapters with me on a CD and will continue writing it in the next month and a half while I'm with my dad, so no worries.  
**

**Cedric: R&R! **


	11. Chapter 10: The Unforgivable Curses

**Kitty: 'Ello! I'm in San Diego!**

**Sigy, Kitty's Step-Brother:(boredly) And she's dragging me into this thing. Hello, world.**

**Yugi: It's good to be able to post again, eh Kitten?**

**Kitty: Yes, while with Aunt Lucy, I couldn't really download any of my stuff...she's a conservative Republican, and I don't think she'd like these chapters on her computer. (winks)**

**Yugi: But your dad will let you do anything and not snoop!**

**Kitty: (pouts) I miss Claire, though...she flew out to Florida the same day I left for San Diego. **

**Atem: (pats Kitty's shoulder) I'm sure she's having fun, and I'm sure when she'll be glad to review again, as will we.**

**Seth: Well said, cousin. **

**Kitty: (smiles and looks at Sigy expectantly)**

**Sigy: What?**

**Kitty: Say it.**

**Sigy: Say what?**

**Kitty: (rolls her eyes and gives him an index card) **

**Sigy: (reads the index card) R&R? What the hell does that mean?**

**Kitty: Read and Review. **

**Sigy: (rolls his eyes) Whatever...**

**Kitty: So R&R, PEOPLES! (grins broadly) **

**

* * *

**  
_**Chapter Ten:**_

_**The Unforgivable Curses** _

The next day the fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherins would have their first class with Professor Moody. The Brits, Marik and Yugi were excited to see what Moody would be teaching after the ferret episode the previous day.

"I wonder if Moody-sensei could turn Snape into a fat horned toad and bounce him around the dungeons while he's at it," joked Marik as they sat down at a table together at the front of Moody's classroom, "At least _then_ Snape would be a bit more _entertaining_."

"Snape wouldn't give him the chance," Harry pointed out, "I mean…is it just _me_, or is Snape a bit _scared_ of him? Moody, I mean."

Diana shook her head. "It's _not_ just you, Harry…but hey, Moody was an _Auror_…and haven't we _all_ thought Snape was a Dark wizard?"

"Dumbledore trusts him, Dare," Hermione reminded her reproachfully.

"Yeah, so?" asked Ron, "That _doesn't_ stop him from being a big bullying git. _Plenty_ of people don't agree with Dumbledore, Mione…they just respect Snape because _he_ does."

"That, and Moody-sensei _is_ pretty paranoid," Yugi noted, "He'd even suspect those _not_ proven as Dark wizards of being up to something, so it's not _surprising_ he's keeping an eye on those who probably _were_."

Moody entered the classroom right then. He walked up to the head of the class, his wooden leg _clunk_ing against the floor as he went. On the way, he passed Malfoy, who flinched involuntarily but still was able to glare at him.

"You can put those books away," he told the students without facing them, likely using his magical eye to look behind him, "You won't need them."

The students did as they were told, and Moody turned to look at them at last.

"Professor Lupin wrote me a letter about you all," he said quietly but clearly, "Seems you all have a good grounding on magical creatures…you've covered Kappas, grindylows, Red Caps, boggarts and werewolves, correct?"

The class murmured with assent. Diana nodded.

Moody cleared his throat. "But according to what I've noted after reading the records of your classes, you are _very_ behind on _curses_…so I've got _one_ _year_ to get you up to scratch-"

"You're not _staying_?" Ron blurted out.

Everyone looked at him, and Ron's cheeks flushed.

"You're Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Moody asked, "Your father got me out of a tight spot a few days ago. Yeah, I'm only staying one year, as a special favor to _Dumbledore_…then I'll go right back to my not-so-quiet retirement."

He laughed harshly and Diana smiled, glad to know he wasn't so mad he'd forgotten how to have humor.

"Alright now…straight back to it. Curses come in many strengths and forms. The Ministry of Magic says I should be teaching you _counter-curses_, and _nothing_ _else_. _Apparently_ they think you shouldn't know about illegal Dark curses until you're in your _sixth_ year…well, _I_ say _different_! Professor Dumbledore thinks you should learn this stuff as _soon_ as _possible_. After all, a Dark wizard isn't going to tell you what he's about to do with a polite _smile_ on his face…you need to be _alert_…you need to be _prepared_…and you need to put that _away_, Miss Brown, and pay _attention_."

Lavender Brown looked up in surprise and blushed: she had been showing Parvati Patil her completed horoscope under her desk. Obviously Moody's magical eye could see through wood as well as through the back of his head.

"So…do any of you know one of the three Unforgivable Curses?"

Ron and Hermione raised their hands: Moody looked at Ron.

"Yeah, Weasley?"

"_Er_…" Ron wasn't used to answering questions often and sounded a bit awkward, "My dad told me about one…the Imperius Curse?"

"Your father _would_ know _that_ one," murmured Moody, "Gave the Ministry _plenty_ of grief at one time. Maybe _this_ will show you _why_…"

He went over to his desk and took out a glass jar with a large black spider inside. Ron pushed his chair as far back from Moody's desk as he could: he was deathly afraid of spiders.

Moody reached into the jar, took out the spider and laid it on his desk so everyone could see it. He then took out his wand and muttered, "_Imperio_!"

The spider immediately jumped into the air, did a back flip and landed back on the desk before doing a series of cartwheels. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and started to tap-dance.

Everyone was laughing, except Moody.

"Think it's _funny_, do you?" he asked as a growl, "What if I did it to _you_?"

The laughter died instantly.

"Complete control," whispered Moody as the spider balled itself up and rolled around the desk, "I could make it jump out the _window_…or _drown_ itself…or throw itself down one of your _throats_…"

Diana couldn't help but feel similarly to Ron as he shuttered next to her.

"The Imperius Curse can be fought," stated Moody, "But only by _real_ strength of _character_…I will be teaching you how, but I can't _guarantee_ you all will _get_ it. Better avoid it if you can…CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Everyone jumped at the loud severity of the last part.

"Many of the wizards accused of being Death Eaters," Moody continued, "Claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the Imperius Curse…but here's the question: _how do you sort out the liars_?"

Marik muttered something inaudible.

"What's that, boy?" inquired Moody, "Speak up!"

"Veritaserum," Marik repeated, a little louder, "Truth potion."

The Slytherins sneered and chuckled among themselves, but the Egyptian didn't look embarrassed at all. Both of Moody's eyes were focused on Marik: then the professor's badly scarred face broke out into a wry smile.

"Yeah, you'd _think_ the Ministry would think of that, wouldn't you? But it's a complex potion…most feel it would waste _time_…"

"It _wouldn't_ waste time if they were able to pin down those _responsible_," Marik dissented calmly.

Moody laughed gruffly. "Your name is _Ishtar_? You're speaking like an _Auror_, you are! Five points to Slytherin for that, boy. It's always good to have a _brain_ in your head if you want to fight the Dark Arts."

The Slytherins' smirks faded: Diana and Yugi grinned at Marik.

Moody went back to the lesson. "Anyone know another?"

To Diana's surprise, Neville raised his hand.

"Yes?" Moody asked him.

"Th-the Cruciatus Curse," stammered Neville in a very small voice.

Moody eyed him carefully.

"Your name's _Longbottom_?"

Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further inquiries. He merely pointed his wand at the spider on his desk and growled, "_Crucio_!"

The spider immediately bent in upon its body, squeaking in immense pain and rolling over and over in violent twitches…

Yugi, unable to watch anything suffer like that, changed his focus to Neville.

_/I wonder how he knew about Cruciatus…I don't think his grandmother works in the Ministry…/_

His eyes widened at the sight of Neville. His fists were clenched upon the desk in front of him and the look in his eyes was nothing short of horror. The only time Yugi ever remembered seeing someone look so scared was when he unknowingly watched a horror movie with Kitty that reminded her of her terrible life before him.

Yugi's eyes shot over to Moody, who was only paying attention to the spider and didn't seem to notice how much he was affecting Neville, and then back to his classmate, and finally the King of Games lost it.

"Sensei, _stop it_!" he shouted, "Can't you see it's _bothering_ him? _STOP IT_!"

The class looked at Yugi, and a few turned to look at Neville. Moody eyed them both quickly, and raised his wand to end the curse. Neville closed his eyes, breathing heavily as if he'd just woken up from a terrifying nightmare.

"Pain," murmured Moody, "You don't need _whips_ or _knives_ to torture someone if you can do Cruciatus…_another_ popular curse at one time. Right…anyone know the last one?"

Diana lowered her gaze to her lap, took a deep breath and raised her hand.

"Yes?" Moody asked her.

Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, and it took a few long seconds before she was able to open her mouth and whisper her answer.

"_Avada Kedavra_."

The class turned to look at her. Ron and Hermione looked concerned. Harry, Yugi and Marik clearly didn't know what was going on, but they all the same looked uneasy by the difficulty Diana was having just saying its name.

Moody crossed his arms as he peered down at her. "Your name's Randall?"

Diana nodded without looking up at him.

"Don't blame you for being uncomfortable about _that_ one, my dear," Moody remarked, "That one is the _last_ and the _worst_…the Killing Curse."

He pointed his wand toward the spider still struggling to stand after the long session of the Cruciatus Curse.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

There was a flash of green light and, instantly, the spider was dead.

Harry's eyes widened.

'_So that's how they died…'_ he thought, remembering the happy faces of his parents that he'd seen in his photo album and thinking of the photo disappearing in a blast of green light, _'Just like that…and they were dead…'_

Diana closed her eyes and opened them again slowly: she was thinking similarly to Harry right then.

Moody swept the dead spider into the trashcan by his desk. "_Not_ pleasant…not _nice_…and there's no counter-curse to stop it. There's only _one_ person who's ever _survived_ it…and he's sitting in this room."

Everyone looked at Harry, and Harry's face reddened a little at all the unpleasant attention. Diana looked up at Moody once more as he looked away from Harry and addressed the class once more.

"_Avada Kedavra_ is a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it…I doubt _any_ of you could give someone so much as a _nosebleed_ with it if you tried…I'm _not_ here to teach you how to _do_ it. _'Why am I teaching you it at all?'_ you may ask. After all, there's no counter-curse. I'm showing it to you because you've _got_…_to_…_know_. You've _got_ to _know_ what the worst is, and you _don't_ want to find yourself in a situation where you're _facing_ it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Everyone jumped again.

"Now…everyone take out your quills and copy this down…_Avada Kedavra_, Imperius and Cruciatus…the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any _one_ of them will earn you a one-way ticket to _Azkaban_. _That's_ what you're up against, and _that's_ what I've got to teach you how to fight. You need _preparing_. You need _arming_. And, most of all, you need _never-ending, constant vigilance_."

They spent the rest of the class copying down notes on the Unforgivable Curses, and it seemed forever before they were able to leave the class and head for the Gryffindor common room to take a break.

"That was _amazing_," Ron muttered to the others, "He's completely _mental_, of course…but he's really _been_ there, you know?"

"There's a _reason_ why those curses are _unforgivable_!" Hermione argued, looking very disapproving of Moody's teaching tactics, "To use them in a _classroom_…I mean, did you _see_ Neville's _face_? He was _completely_-"

Marik held up a hand to stop her as they had just walked next to Neville. He was looking out the stained glass window at the light drizzle outside, looking as if he were in another world, and a very sad world at that.

Hermione immediately looked guilty. Yugi put a hand on Neville's shoulder, and the boy's head shot around to look at him.

"Are you okay, Neville-kun?" Yugi inquired concernedly.

Neville nodded shakily. "Y-yeah…f-fine."

Yugi would've said more, but right then, Moody _clunk_ed down the stairs.

"It's alright, sonny," he told Neville, "Why don't you come up to my office and have a cup of tea? Got something I want to show you…"

Neville didn't look at all thrilled at the prospect of having tea with Moody, but nevertheless did as he was told and followed the professor back up the stairs toward his office.

* * *

A little while later, when the Brits and Yugi settled into the Gryffindor common room, Neville came into the common room, looking a lot calmer than at the end of Moody's first class.

"Hey, Neville-kun," Yugi greeted tentatively.

"Hi, Yugi!" Neville answered cheerfully, "I've just been reading this book Professor Moody gave me…"

He held up a book called _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean_.

"Apparently Professor Sprout told him I'm good at Herbology," he explained, a faint note of pride in his voice, "He thought I'd like this…I think I'm going to show it to Ryou, I think _he'd_ like it too."

So he headed out through the portrait hole to go find Ryou. Yugi was glad to see Neville was feeling better: he was so glad that he didn't notice the tapping at the window until Ron said, "_Hey_! It's Hedwig!"

Harry raced over to the window and opened it to let his white owl inside the common room. He took the letter from her and sat down next to the others.

"It's from Sirius," he whispered to them.

"Open it!" Diana and Hermione said in unison.

* * *

_**Harry,**_

_**I'm flying south immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore. They're saying he's got Mad Eye out of retirement to teach at Hogwarts, which means he's reading the signs, even if no else is.**_

_**I'll be in touch. My best to Dare and your friends. Keep your eyes open.**_

_**Sirius**__

* * *

_

Diana looked at Harry accusingly. "You never told me your scar hurt!"

"It was during the summer," Harry replied defensively, "I had this weird nightmare with Wormtail and Voldemort…Voldemort said he wanted to kill m…_someone_…and I woke up with my scar hurting."

Artemis's Heir crossed her arms, her eyes widening at Harry dangerously.

"It's _nothing_!" Harry assured her, "_Really_!"

"Oh _yeah_, _nothing_," Diana growled sarcastically, "You had a dream with Voldemort and Wormtail wanting to kill someone…absolutely _nothing_ wrong with _that_."

"Dare, there's other things to worry about," Hermione pointed out worriedly, "I mean…Sirius just said he's coming _back_!"

"He'll be _caught_ if he comes around here _again_," Harry muttered, "Damn it, I _never_ should've told him! I have to write him and tell him not to come."

"And hope he decides to _listen_ for once," Diana pointed out with a sigh.

* * *

**Sigy: Is it over? Can I go back to my conversation with my own friends now?**

**Kitty: Yes.**

**Sigy: (sighs in relief) Thank you, Lord... (leaves)**

**Yugi: (bounces Ferret Malfoy in the background) R&R! **


	12. Chapter 11: Societies and Schools

**Kitty: (wearing headphones) Hey all! Another update coming your way!**

**Yugi: What are you listening to?**

**Kitty: (sings) _SCHADENFREUDE! SCHADENFREUDE_!**

**Atem: Schadenfreude? What's _that_, some kind of Nazi word?**

**Bakura: Yep. It's German for_ '"happiness at the misfortune of others."_**

**Atem: You'd know a _lot _about that, wouldn't you? **

**Bakura: (smirks)**

**Yugi: (sigh) And I thought my _Yami _was the one who had the name that was supposedly German...**

**Ryou: He _is_...Bakura's just more the type to get into German history.**

**Noa: Especially the wars.**

**Yugi: What else _is _there in history _besides _wars?**

**Noa: Breaks in between them that some historians call _"peace,"_ but are really miserable for most of the racial minorities at the time.**

**Ryou: Well said. (clears throat) R&R!**

**

* * *

**

_**Chapter Eleven:**_

_**Societies and Schools**_

Weeks passed like minutes that month, and the next thing Diana knew, she, Ron, Harry, Yugi and Marik were sitting again in Moody's classroom weeks later wondering why the final one of their number hadn't arrived yet.

"Do you think Mione-kun lost track of time on her homework or something?" asked Marik.

"You're talking about _Mione_ here, Marik, not _me_," replied Ron, "Mione doesn't lose track of time on _anything_."

"She must be really busy to risk being late for _class_," commented Yugi.

"But what could she be _that_ busy on?" Harry inquired with a frown, "Mione _hates_ being late."

"Mione _also_ hates getting points taken off of her, breaking _any_ rules and getting anything _less_ than _perfect_ on an assignment," Diana pointed out, "She's got to risk _one_ thing to get _another_ sooner or later."

As if brought about by their discussion of her, Hermione suddenly entered the classroom and hurried over to sit beside them.

"Konnichiwa, Mione-kun," greeted Yugi, "Where were you?"

"Finishing up a project of mine," the bookworm answered cheerfully.

"What project?" asked Marik, "A project for Arithmancy or something?"

Hermione shook her head. "No…I've _decided_, after seeing what kind of _cruelty_ house-elves are put through, to create an organization to work _against_ such disgusting treatment and injustice."

Ron groaned in aggravation. "Mione, _what_ don't you _understand_? _They…like…it_. House-elves _like_ being enslaved!"

"Because they don't _know_ any _better_," retorted Hermione.

She opened up her bag and took out a handful of brightly colored badges bearing the letters **_S.P.E.W._**

"'_Spew?'_" scorned Diana as she picked one up, "Is _this_ your _message_? To eat all of the food the Hogwarts house-elves eat until you _spew_ all over everything in _protest_?"

Harry and Ron laughed.

"Oh ha ha, very funny," snapped Hermione, "And it's not _spew_, it's S.P.E.W.: the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

Yugi sweatdropped. "Mione-kun, I agree that house-elves are treated really _bad_ sometimes…_hell_, look at _Dobby_…but it sounds to me like house-elves look _down_ on ones that disobey masters and wish for freedom…"

Marik nodded in agreement. "Don't you think your society will just make _more_ problems?"

Hermione ignored them. "Our _short-term_ aims are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our _long-term_ aims include changing the law about non-wand use and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where they're _shockingly_ underrepresented-"

"Stop right there," Ron cut in, crossing his arms, "You said _'our' _aims. Who is it that you're counting in this _'our'_ of yours?"

"Well, if you five, Seto, Mokuba and Ryou join," Hermione replied calmly, "Then we'll have nine members."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "And _how_ are you planning to do all this?"

"We start by recruiting _members_," Hermione explained brightly, "Badges are two sickles each, and with _those_ proceeds, we can start a leaflet campaign, and then, _hopefully_, start lobbying for elf rights in the Wizengamot and such…"

Fortunately Moody arrived at this moment and Diana didn't have to start hissing at Hermione for how stupid this idea of hers sounded. Hermione hurriedly shoved the badges back into her bag as Moody started to speak.

"Alright, you all…today I'm going to show you how to resist the Imperius Curse. First, just to see how all of you are right _now_, I'll place the curse on each of you in turn to see if you can resist its effects."

"B-but you said that Imperius is _illegal_!" Hermione protested, "You said if you _used_ it, you'd go to-"

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it _feels_ like," Moody interrupted her concerned statement, "If any of you would rather learn the _hard_ way, when someone putting it on you so they can control you to do their dirty work, go on and get out and I'll excuse you."

But none of the class moved: no way was anyone going to miss such an intriguing lesson.

So Moody began to beckon students up to the front and put the Imperius Curse on them. None of those who went up, however, was able to resist it. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. Marik vocalized crazily and sang _The Phantom of the Opera _like he had been trained in opera his whole life. Neville performed a series of tricks only worthy of a professional acrobat. Most amusing of all, Malfoy did a huge pirouette across the room and performed an entire ballet routine.

"Mutou, you're up."

Yugi gulped, before standing up and walking up to the front of the room. Moody raised his wand and said, "_Imperio_!"

It was the most wonderful feeling Yugi had ever felt: a feeling that he was floating above the clouds without a care in the world. A vague happiness was the only feeling going through him.

Then Moody's voice echoed through his head, **_'Jump onto the desk…'_**

Yugi bent his knees in dreamy obedience, preparing to spring.

'_**Jump onto the desk…'**_

Suddenly his Yami's voice rang out through his head.

_-Don't do it, Yugi-kun. You're being controlled. Don't do it!-_

Atem's words were indistinct, but just hearing his voice made Yugi think despite his mind being so hazy.

_/Jumping on the desk does sound like a really stupid thing to do/_

'_**Jump onto the desk…'**_

_/No, I don't think I will, thanks/_

'_**Jump onto the desk…'**_

_/I don't want to/_

'_**JUMP! NOW!'**_

The next thing Yugi felt was severe pain in his knees: he'd jumped and tried to stop himself from jumping at the same time, making him smash headlong into the desk and knocking it over.

"_Ow_…" he moaned under his breath.

"Now _that's_ more like it!" Moody said in his gravelly voice, "See that? Mutou _fought_! He _fought_ it, and he damn well near _beat_ it! Well done, boy, well done."

Yugi breathed hard. _/Thanks, Yami-kun…if you hadn't said something, I probably wouldn't have been able to resist it/_

_-No problem, Yugi-kun-_ Atem muttered back, sounding upset, _-I don't want anyone else in your mind…Shadi and the Sorting Hat were bad enough-_

Yugi smiled slightly.

Harry and Diana also nearly resisted the Imperius Curse, but Harry still had to do a back flip in the air while throwing out various Jackie-Chan-style moves and Diana was still made to speak rapidly in about twelve different languages besides her native English and her secondary French. Ron was forced to kiss Hermione, and even after they left the room, Hermione looked completely mortified. Ron, however, looked a bit pleased with himself despite the embarrassed flush in his cheeks.

* * *

A few days later, the Brits and the Japanese boys came downstairs to see a large group of students crowded around a large sign that had been posted outside the Great Hall.

* * *

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

_**The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6:00 PM on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early: students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and then assemble in front of the castle to greets our guests before the Welcoming Feast.**

* * *

_

"Alright!" Harry said with a wide grin, "The last class on Friday is _Potions_! Snape won't be able to _poison_ us all!"

A Hufflepuff fourth year named Ernie Macmillan was talking with some friends close by, and as he shoved through the crowd past Diana and her friends, they heard some of their conversation.

"_Only a_ _week_ _away_? I better go tell Cedric!"

Marik peered after Ernie as he ran away up the marble stairs. "_Cedric_?"

"Cedric Diggory, I bet," supposed Diana, "Guess he wants to enter."

Ron looked revolted at the idea. "_What_? We can't have that _pretty-boy_ being Hogwarts _champion_! Durmstrang is supposed to be this big Dark Arts school: they'd _cream_ him!"

"Cedric-kun's not _that_ bad, Ron-kun," disputed Ryou, "Just because he won that Quidditch game last year _doesn't_ mean he's a bad guy."

Hermione nodded. "And he's _not_ a pretty boy. He's nice, he's a good student _and_ he's a prefect."

"You just like him because he's _handsome_," Ron told her scathingly.

"_Excuse_ me, I do_ not_ like people just because they're _handsome_!" Hermione replied indignantly.

Ron gave a loud, fake cough that sounded oddly like _"Lockhart!"_ Diana, Harry and the Japanese boys sweatdropped.

* * *

As the students waited outside for the foreign students to arrive, Harry showed the others the letter he'd received from Sirius earlier that day.

* * *

_**Nice try, Harry. Give Dare my regards for helping you write that little excuse of yours: she's turning you into quite a good liar. Too bad I know you well enough.**_

**_I'm back in the area and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Don't use Hedwig all the time, though: keep changing owls, or people will notice how often Hedwig flies by where I'm staying and get suspicious. Don't worry about me, just look out for yourself and your friends. Don't forget what I said about your scar._ **

**_Sirius

* * *

_**

"Damn it, why does he have to be so _stubborn_?" whispered Diana, but she was still smiling.

Harry smirked at her. "Apparently he thinks that me being able to lie to him is _your_ fault."

"_Everything_ is my fault, Harry, haven't you noticed?" joshed Diana.

"So is it _your_ fault that these schools are taking so long to _arrive_?" asked Atem impatiently, "I _thought_ they were supposed to arrive at _six_."

_/I would've thought Pharaohs would know how to be more patient/_ Yugi muttered through the mind link.

_-Patient?-_ thought Atem incredulously, _-I was stuck in a Puzzle for five thousand years, and you're talking to me about patience?-_

Suddenly Dumbledore called out, "_Aha_! Unless I'm _very_ much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

The friends looked toward the tracks the Hogwarts Express usually followed…but they didn't see any foreign train approaching.

It was only when a sixth year screamed, "_Up there_!" that they looked to the sky and saw a large shape flying their way. As it came closer, they realized the shape was that of a flying blue and silver carriage being led by golden winged horses twice as large as normal horses, which landed gently and silently on the ground near in front of the Hogwarts students and teachers.

The carriage door opened, and a woman large enough to be compared to Hagrid stepped out. The woman had a lovely olive-skinned face, large black eyes and a rather beaky nose, her hair was tied back in a shining black knob at the back of her head and she was dressed in a gorgeous black satin gown that Diana thought could be the size of a circus tent.

"That must be Madame Maxime," Seto murmured.

The name stirred something in Diana's memory.

"_**Où est Madame Maxime? Nous l'avons perdue-"**_

"The Beauxbatons Headmistress?" asked Diana, and Seto nodded.

A group of silk-dressed Beauxbatons students exited the carriage after Madame Maxime and filed into lines in her shadow. One of them, Diana noticed, was the curly-haired girl from the Quidditch World Cup: Artemis's Heir waved at her, and she blinked at Diana twice before smiling in recognition and waving back.

Madame Maxime extended a hand to Dumbledore, and the headmaster barely had to bend down to kiss it.

"_Welcome_, my dear Madame Maxime," he greeted, "To _Hogwarts_."

"Professeur Dumbly-dorr," Madame Maxime purred, "I 'ope you are well?"

"In _excellent_ form, I thank you," replied Dumbledore.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" inquired Madame Maxime.

"He should be here any minute," Dumbledore assured her.

Just as he said that, a first year cried out and pointed at the lake.

The mast of a skeletal-looking ship slowly rose out of the water. The ship straightened up, and a plank landed with a thud on the bank.

"I give these schools points for creative ways to _travel_," muttered Mokuba.

The Durmstrang students that traveled down the gangplank were all dressed in heavy, fur-decorated scarlet coats: the man who led them, however, wore a coat of the sleekest sliver that matched the color of his hair and his short, slightly curled goatee.

"_Al-booze_!" he called jovially, shaking Dumbledore's hand and patting him heartily on the back, "How _are_ you, my dear fellow, how _are_ you?"

"_Blooming_, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," answered Dumbledore.

Ron suddenly grabbed Diana's arm.

"What the _hell's_ the matter with _you_?" she hissed at him.

The youngest Weasley boy wasn't looking at her, however, or even at Karkaroff: he was staring at a student that had just disembarked and walked toward Karkaroff with the other Durmstrang students.

"_Merlin Almighty_," he whispered, "I-it's _Krum_! _Viktor Krum_!"

* * *

**Ryou: (sarcastically) Oh my _god_. It's Viktor Krum. _Wow_.**

**Kitty: (sings) _It's schadenfreude! FUCK YOU, LADY, THAT'S WHAT STAIRS ARE FOR!_  
**

**Atem: Hikari, where the _hell _is this weird song from?**

**Yugi: Avenue Q. It's a musical acted out by a bunch of Muppets.**

**Bakura: Muppets? As in that hog that dates a frog?**

**Miss Piggy: (appears out of nowhere) _AHEM_! _Excusez-moi_, buster, but did you just call _moi_...a _HOG_?**

**Bakura: (annoyed) Yeah, so? What are _you _gonna do about it?**

**Miss Piggy: _HIIIIIIIYA_! (kicks Bakura in the crotch)**

**Bakura:_ OW_! (falls to the ground)  
**

**Miss Piggy: _HUMPH_! (leaves)**

**Kermit the Frog: (appears from nowhere and looks down at Bakura) Um...sorry, sir. Piggy's just..._sensitive_.**

**Bakura: (moaning in pain on the floor)**

**Kitty: (sings) _Football players getting tackled! CEOs getting shackled!_**

**Seto: (comes in) W-_WHAT_? _What _now?**

**Yugi: (sweatdrop) It's nothing, Kaiba-kun...Neko-chan's just singing to Avenue Q.**

**Seto: (glares) I don't even _want _to know. (leaves)**

**Kermit: Sheesh. (to audience) R&R, everyone! _YAAAAAAAAAY_! **


	13. Chapter 12: The Selections are Made

**Kitty: (sings) _Nobody knows the bastards I meet...nobody knows the bitches..._ (looks up) Oh! Hey, all! **

**Atem: What was that you were singing? It's not more Avenue Q, is it?  
**

**Kitty: Nope. You know the song Zazu sings in the Lion King when he's in Scar's lair? **

**Noa: That _"Nobody knows my sorrow"_ one? **

**Kitty: Yeah...well, me step-mom Leila and I almost got in a car accident because of this idiot bastard on the road, so...**

**Yugi: _"Nobody knows the bastards I meet," _and that's history?**

**Kitty: Yeppers. **

**Lina: Get to the chapter already, Hikari.**

**Kitty: (sticks her tongue out) Oh _fine_... (ahem) I know Claire will like something in this chapter. (glomps Claire)**

**Yugi: And I'm sure she'll like being back home as it is.**

**Atem: I wanna go to Florida... (pouts)**

**Kitty: Because the sand makes you think of Egypt. Get a grip. San Diego is much better.**

**Atem: Excluding Coranado.**

**Kitty: Oh, yeah... (sweatdrop) Coranado...c'est stuffy Republican central. Fitting it's where Aunt Lucy lives.  
**

**Yugi: Except your uncle and aunt are nice. Their sailboat rocks.**

**Kitty: (nods) R&R, peeps!**

**

* * *

**  
_**Chapter Twelve:**_

_**The Selections are Made**_

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and…in _particular_…_guests_," Dumbledore announced, beaming around at the foreign students, "And welcome. I hope your stay here will be both _comfortable_ and _enjoyable_."

Diana eyed the lightly-dressed Beauxbatons students shivering near Seto and sweatdropped. They _obviously _weren't very comfortable.

"The tournament will be opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore, "_Now_, I invite you to eat, drink and make yourselves at home."

And so the plates in front of the students filled up with food native to France, Bulgaria and their own Britain.

Diana got up and headed over toward where the French girl from the Quidditch World Cup was sitting. Now that she was looking at her as an acquaintance instead of a stranger, she was able to solidify in her mind her youthful blond curls held back by a blue headband, shining blue eyes and gently freckled cheeks. She looked no older than Mokuba.

"_Salut!_" the girl greeted.

"_Salut_," replied Diana, "_Bon pour vous revoir_."

"_Quel est votre nom_?" the girl asked her name, "_Je ne vous ai pas demandé la fois passée_."

Diana nodded. "_Je suis Diana Randall_. _Et vous_?"

"_Je suis Gabrielle Delacour_," the girl told her, "_J'ai juste commencé chez Beauxbatons."_

"_Vraiment? Quel âge avez-vous?"_

"_J'ai 12 ans_," Gabrielle answered.

Diana grinned. "_Vous êtes le même âge que mon ami. Il a commencé chez Hogwarts l'année dernière_."

"_Oh, c'est vrai_?" inquired Gabrielle. "_Qui est votre ami_?"

"Mokuba Kaiba," said Diana, "_Son frere est Seto Kaiba_."

Gabrielle's eyes widened. "_Le Président de KaibaCorp_?"

Diana nodded. "_Oui…ils sont tous deux dans Ravenclaw. Peut-être je vous présenterai_."

"Dare, _c'mon_!" Ron called from the Gryffindor table, "I'm going to eat everything unless you grab something now!"

"Coming!" Diana yelled back, before turning to Gabrielle and adding, "_Bien, je dois aller…Ron est ennuyant._"

Gabrielle giggled. "_Il faisait beau vous revoyant, Deana. Voyez-vous autour_."

Diana smiled at the French pronunciation of her name before getting up again and heading back to the Gryffindor table to sit with the Brits and Yugi.

"What was _that_ about?" asked Ron.

"I was just _talking_ to her," Diana responded, frowning at him in annoyance, "She's the girl from the Quidditch World Cup."

"Oh _yeah_, that _is_ her!" Hermione realized as she turned to look at her again.

"Why didn't you just talk to her in English?" inquired Harry, "She _has_ to know English to have come, since not everyone knows French like you do."

Diana shrugged. "Well, if _you_ knew a second language that you had to speak all the time just to be understood, wouldn't _you_ be glad to speak with someone in your native language?"

Harry thought this over. "Yeah, I guess so…anyway, what's her name?"

"Gabrielle Delacour," replied Diana, "She apparently just started at Beauxbatons…she's the same age as Mokuba."

"Wow, what a coincidence," commented Yugi.

Diana nodded. "She knew Seto by reputation…I told her maybe I'd introduce her to them sometime."

"I heard you say my name," Ron remarked suspiciously, "What'd you say?"

Diana smirked. "I told her I had to leave because you were being annoying."

Ron flushed as Hermione and Harry laughed. "I am _not_ annoying!"

"Are too," mocked Diana.

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"'Bout time you admitted it."

"_HEY_!"

Hermione made a gesture to silence him, as Dumbledore had stood up again.

"The moment has come. _First_, let me acknowledge the two men _without_ of which this holding of the tournament could _not_ have taken place: Bartemius Crouch, of the Department of International Magical Cooperation…"

There was a dash of polite applause that Crouch did not reply to.

"…and Ludo Bagman, of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder round of applause for the popular ex-Beater, and Bagman waved jovially in response.

"Misters Bagman and Crouch will be joining Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime and myself on the panel of judges for the tournament," explained Dumbledore, "And _now_, Mr. Filch…the casket."

"_Casket_?" repeated Harry, looking nervous.

Diana smiled at him. "I don't think it's not _that_ kind of casket."

Filch came forward, holding a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. Dumbledore tapped it with his wand: a wooden cup was levitated out and it gently settled itself on top of the chest. It didn't look that special at all, until a bunch of blue-white flames flew out of the cup to dance around the brim.

"The Goblet of Fire," stated Dumbledore, "Anyone wishing to submit themselves as a possible Triwizard champion must write their name and school on a piece of parchment and drop it into the goblet in the next twenty-four hours, before it selects one champion for each of the three schools tomorrow after the Halloween feast. Just know, however, that I shall be drawing an Age Line around it, so nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to enter their name. If you are of age, though, and wish to enter, I merely wish to impress upon you the _gravity_ of this tournament. The placing of your name in the Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding, magical _contract_: if you are _selected_, there is no turning _back_, so please be _sure_ you wish to compete. And now, I believe it is time for bed! Good night to you all."

* * *

The next day, Halloween, was Saturday, so many students breakfasted late while some older ones put their names into the Goblet of Fire.

"I heard the whole Durmstrang lot put their names in already," muttered Ron, "If _I_ were that goblet, I'd _definitely_ choose _Krum_."

"You want your _precious_ hero to go off and get himself _killed_?" Ryou inquired without looking up from the copy of _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean_ that Neville had borrowed from Moody.

The albino seemed jaded with the whole tournament: he didn't seem to think that risking your life for money and glory was worth it. That, and his Yami had been bugging him about entering ever since the beginning of the month.

Marik and Seto came over to sit back down with the Gryffindors, Mokuba and Ryou, both smiling.

"Just put our names in!" Marik asserted brightly.

"Good luck," Yugi replied with a slight smile, "I know either one of you would make Hogwarts proud."

Mokuba nodded in agreement. "My big brother's going to kick _ass_."

Seto smirked at Mokuba. "Are you _sure_ you don't want to enter, Yugi-kun?"

Yugi gave a wry smile. "You think after having my grandfather's soul stolen by a golden-eyed whack-job, rescuing you from a virtual video game, almost losing my soul to an ancient monster and saving the world that I need _more_ excitement? No thanks."

Diana saw Gabrielle enter the Great Hall and gestured to her to come over.

"_Salut, Deana_," Gabrielle greeted, "_Ces personnes sont vos amis_?"

"_Oui_," assented Diana.

"It iz nice to meet you," Gabrielle spoke to Diana's friends in English for the first time, her French accent still apparent, "I am Gabrielle."

Yugi smiled brightly at her. "Nice to meet you too, Gabrielle-chan. I'm Yugi…Ryou, Seto, Marik, Mokuba and I are from Japan."

"Zo you are Mokuba Kaiba?" Gabrielle asked Mokuba.

"Hai," Mokuba answered, a bit surprised she knew him.

"Deana spoke of you," Gabrielle explained with a smile, "She zaid you were 12 years old as well."

"Hai, I am," Mokuba assented, "Bit of a bummer we can't enter the tournament, ne?"

"I do not wish to entair ze Tournament," said Gabrielle with a shrug, "But my oldair zister, she iz entering."

Diana heard laughter, and turned to see Fred and George Weasley entering the Great Hall with excited looks on their faces.

"Just took the Aging Potion!" declared Fred, "Just a few drops, and we're old enough to enter!"

"It _isn't_ going to _work_," Hermione warned them, "Dumbledore drew the Age Line around that thing _himself_…he would've _thought_ of students using Aging Potion."

The twins ignored her.

"I'll go first," stated Fred, taking a slip of parchment with the clear words **_"Fred Weasley: Hogwarts"_** out of his pocket and approaching the goblet.

He took a deep breath, and stepped over the Age Line.

For a split second, it looked like it had worked. George had obviously thought so, for he cheered in triumph and raced forward as well…then there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurtled back out of the golden circle as if a giant tennis racket had just whacked them. They landed on the floor painfully, and were now sprouting matching long, white beards.

The entire hall roared with laughter: even Fred and George joined in, pointing at each other's beard and laughing.

"_He warned you_!" Diana shouted amusedly, "_Dumbledore warned you_!"

Gabrielle had a hand to her mouth and was trying to hold back her amusement, clearly not wanting to start laughing uncouthly in front of everyone: Mokuba, however, was howling with laughter beside her as the bearded, laughing Weasley twins left for the Hospital Wing.

A group of chattering Hufflepuffs entered the hall to encourage Cedric as he went over to the Goblet of Fire to put his name in. As he passed the Brits, the Japanese boys and Gabrielle, Cedric made eye contact with Diana and gave a shy smile. Diana grinned at him and mouthed, _"Good luck," _and he mouthed back, _"Thanks,"_ before he put his name into the goblet.

"What are you wishing _him_ luck for?" hissed Ron when the Hufflepuffs all started cheering and patting Cedric on the back.

Diana scowled at him. "_What_, would you rather _Warrington_ be champion?"

"_Warrington_?" repeated Harry, his eyes narrowing, "You mean that bloke on Slytherin Quidditch team that looks like an over-sized sloth?"

"Yeah, _that_ baka," growled Marik, "Apparently he got up really early this morning and put his name in."

Ron looked revolted. "We _can't_ have a _Slytherin_ champion! Unless it's _you_, of course, Marik."

"_Flattered_, I'm sure," Marik said with a smirk.

Cho Chang had just entered the Great Hall, and she ran over to Cedric, practically pounced on him and hugged him tightly.

Harry looked up, losing interest in the discussion. "What's up with _her_?"

"From what _I've_ heard, she's going _out_ with him," Mokuba snorted in disgust, "I pity Diggory-kun for being stuck with her."

Harry's mood immediately dampened: Diana patted his hand and smiled sympathetically, but Gabrielle tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

"_Ce garçon continue à vous regarder_," she murmured in French.

Diana looked up to see a very awkward Cedric in Cho's tight hold.

"_Que voulez-vous dire_?" Artemis's Heir asked her.

Gabrielle grinned. "_Je pense qu'il vous aime_."

Diana blinked in confusion, and then laughed. "_Ne soyez pas ridicule_."

* * *

It was time for the Goblet of Fire to make its selections for the Triwizard champions. Dumbledore raised his wand so that all the candles went out, plunging the students into semi-darkness. Everyone watched and waited. 

The goblet's normally blue-white flames turned red, before a charred piece of parchment shot out amongst a bunch of bright red sparks.

Dumbledore caught the parchment and looked at it. "The champion for Durmstrang is…Viktor Krum!"

"Who _else_?" Ryou muttered dully, as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. Karkaroff was smiling and clapping harder than anyone.

Krum rose from the Slytherin table and slouched along the high table to the chamber for champions to the right of the Great Hall, and at last, the applause died down. A few seconds later, the goblet's flames turned red again, and another piece of parchment shot out amongst sparks.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," stated Dumbledore, "is Fleur Delacour!"

A girl with deep blue eyes, long silvery-white hair and very white teeth stood from the Ravenclaw table. Gabrielle cheered at her sister's success: Ron, however, gawked at Fleur, his face bypassing red and turning purple.

"She's a _veela_!" he whispered hoarsely at Harry.

"Of _course_ she _isn't_," snapped Hermione, "I don't see anyone _else_ gawking at her like an idiot."

This wasn't entirely true, though: a lot of other boys were also staring at the girl as she left through the door Krum had gone through.

Seto looked at the girl, before turning to Yugi. "Punch me."

Yugi, though looking hesitant, obeyed, and Seto resolutely took the punch.

"Not even _veela_ will make me betray _Melisanne_," he muttered.

The Goblet of Fire lit up with red flames once more, and a piece of parchment flew out in a barrage of sparks to land in Dumbledore's hand.

"The Hogwarts champion is…Cedric Diggory!"

"_NO_!" shouted Ron in disappointment, but no one heard him except his friends since the Hufflepuff table had exploded in an uproar of applause and cheers as Cedric made his way past them. He exchanged a grin with Diana as he passed her, before heading through the door into the champions' room.

"_Excellent_!" Dumbledore called happily when the tumult finally died down, "We have our three Triwizard champions. I'm sure I can count upon all of you to give your champions every ounce of support you can, as I'm sure they'll need it during the trying tests that they-"

But Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was obvious why.

The flames in the Goblet of Fire had just turned red again, and with a cluster of sparks, another piece of parchment soared out of it.

Dumbledore let it fall into his hand, and he stared at it for a good long while, before he cleared his throat and read,

"_Harry Potter."

* * *

_

**Yugi: DUN DUN DUN!**

**Harry: WHAT THE-? Kitty, couldn't you have changed it?**

**Kitty: (sweatdrop) Sorry, Harry, but Voldemort wanted your blood...**

**Harry: (looks toward the heavens in aggravation) Why do all these things have to happen to me? (mopes)**

**Ginny: (gives Harry a hug to make him feel better)**

**Kitty: Anyway...Gabrielle's and Diana's conversation Diana later translated for Harry et all, but there are a few statements in there that didn't get a translation, so here there are...**

_Salut, Deana. Ces personnes sont vos amis?_**- _Hi, Deana. Are these are your friends?_**

_Ce garçon continue à vous regarder.- **That boy keeps looking at you.**_

_Que voulez-vous dire?- **What are you talking about?**_

_Je pense qu'il vous aime.- **I think he likes you.**_

_Ne soyez pas ridicule.- **Don't be ridiculous. **_

**Kitty: Well, that's that.**

**Ginny: (still hugging Harry) R&R! **_**  
**_


	14. Chapter 13: The Unexpected Champion

**Harry: (sings) _Why does this always happen? Why does this always happen to me?_**

**Atem: What song is that? Sounds like a theme-song for your life...and _mine_, now that I think about it.**

**Kitty: That's Weird Al! (squees) Where'd you learn that song, Harry?**

**Harry: The ITunes thing on your dad's computer with every single CD he's ever bought downloaded on it.**

**Bakura: Which is probably billions and billions.**

**Kitty: (sweatdrop) Dad's obsessed with music...not a specific type: just _"good music."_ Even though I don't know how he can count Steely Dan as _"good music"_ when he thinks Gerard Butler shouldn't have ever been considered for the role of the Phantom of the Opera because he wasn't trained in opera. (scowls)**

**Yugi: He dragged you to one of Steely Dan's concerts, didn't he, Kitten?**

**Kitty: (fumes) Yes. Obviously he thinks anything he likes I automatically will like too...it's no big deal that I hate concerts in general.**

**Lina: Tell him, then.**

**Kitty: (snorts) He'd use his guilt factor if I did that.**

**Lina: (sweatdrop) Oh yeah.**

**Atem: (sighs) R&R!**

* * *

_**Chapter Thirteen:**_

_**The Unexpected Champion**_

For a long time, no one spoke. 

Diana stared at Dumbledore in disbelief. _/There's no way…Harry couldn't possibly have…/_

She slowly turned to look at her friend as a buzzing of many whispered conversations began to fill the Hall.

Harry was frozen in his chair, looking as if he was trying to convince himself this was some weird dream. He looked around at her and the others, who looked equally as shocked. He opened his mouth and it took a few moments before he could speak.

"I didn't put my name in," he said blankly, "You _know_ I didn't."

None of them could reply: they only could stare blankly back at him.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called again at last, not angry, but in a type of bemused concern, "_Harry_! Up here, if you please."

"Go on," Diana murmured to Harry.

Harry looked like a child about to go into a dark basement all alone and tempted to ask his mom to come with him to make him feel less scared, but he shakily stood up, looked at Diana and the others anxiously and slowly headed over to Dumbledore. The Headmaster gestured toward the door to the champions' room, and Harry walked through it and out of sight.

* * *

The Gryffindors had headed back up to their common room. Fred, George and several others were celebrating this extra chance at the Triwizard Cup, but Hermione, Ron, Yugi and Diana didn't feel like celebrating. 

"But…_how_…how could this have happened?" Yugi wondered.

Hermione shook her head to say she didn't know. Ron was hugging his knees in a cozy red armchair, a brooding look on his face.

"Why didn't he _tell_ us he _entered_?" he muttered.

Those words shot Diana out of her trance.

"Because he _didn't_ enter," she replied coldly, "There's no _way_ he could've gotten past the Age Line."

"He could've used the Invisibility Cloak," Ron mumbled almost to himself.

"And sported a white beard for the rest of the day," commented Diana.

Ron snorted.

"What the _hell_ is your _problem_?" Diana growled, standing up.

She stared at Ron for a moment: then her eyes widened dangerously.

"You _really_ think he _entered_?"

Ron looked up at her with an annoyed look. "Well, don't _you_?"

"_Hell_ no!" retorted Diana, "I _can't_ believe you'd even _suggest_ such a thing!"

Ron turned away from her, taking his anger out on the fire in the fireplace. "He could've told _me_ the truth…if he didn't want anyone else to _know_…"

"To know _what_?" snapped Diana, "That he was going to find himself as the second Hogwarts champion when _everyone_ knew there's supposed to be _one_ for each _school_? Come _off_ it, Ron! Harry _couldn't_ have known!"

"Yeah…_whatever_," Ron muttered as he got up from the armchair.

Diana stared at Ron in disbelief as he started to head toward the dormitory stairs. "I can't _believe_ you. You're _supposed_ to be Harry's _best_ _friend_, how can you _doubt_ him like this?"

Ron didn't reply, and finally Diana lost her temper. She strode right over to him and punched him in the jaw.

Yugi and Hermione gasped in horror. The celebrating crowd suddenly stopped what they were doing and fell silent to watch the fight. Ron stumbled back, gripping his jaw.

"What the _hell_ was _that_ for?" he demanded furiously.

"For being a disloyal, jealous _prick_," Diana hissed, "You don't _deserve_ Harry as a friend if you're going to be bitter about something he doesn't _want_ and never _asked_ for. Now get out of here before I _completely_ lose it."

Ron looked ready to fight back, but Diana's eyes were shining red, so he decided to content himself with glaring angrily at her, running up the stairs and slamming the door to the boys' dormitory behind him.

Diana snorted like an angry horse.

"I'm going to go find Harry," she told Hermione and Yugi under her breath, before she turned and ran out the common room.

Hermione sighed in aggravation. "What _is_ it with these _stupid_ redheads _always_ losing their _temper_? Thanks to _them_, I've forgotten how it feels to be around _quiet_ people!"

* * *

Diana, still steamed about Ron's behavior, headed down toward the Great Hall to find Harry and see what had happened with his role in the Triwizard Tournament. She did not have to travel that far, though, for soon she saw Cedric and Harry heading toward her. 

"_Harry_!"

Harry looked up to see her running over to him. He seemed a bit dazed, likely overwhelmed by the whole thing.

"Dare…hey."

Diana put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked seriously.

Harry nodded, but his face sure didn't seem to agree.

"Hi," greeted Cedric.

"Hi," Diana answered, attempting a smile, "Um…congrats."

"Thanks," Cedric replied, returning her smile but looking like he was having a problem looking her in the eye, "Uh…see you around, I guess?"

"Bye," Diana called after him as he headed off to the Hufflepuff dormitory.

She turned back to Harry. "So you still have to compete, huh? Your face is telling me how nervous you are."

"Stop it, you sound like _Trelawney_," Harry reproached dully.

Diana smiled wryly. "_Eek_, that's _scary_…well, I can assure you, I don't even _pretend_ to be able to read minds, so…tell me what happened."

"Well…" murmured Harry, "When I got there, none of the other champions really knew _what_ to make of it…Gabrielle's sister even thought that I was a _messenger_ at first. Then Crouch, Bagman, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime and Dumbledore came down and explained…Fleur thought it had to be a _joke_, since a _'little boy,'_" his nose scrunched up in disgust, "couldn't _possibly_ have entered…Karkaroff and Maxime were _furious_. They said they either wouldn't participate or that they should also get a second champion, but Bagman said what's chosen _stays_ chosen, until the next tournament when the Goblet of Fire lights up again. Then Moody came in and…"

He hesitated.

"Moody came in and…?" Diana prompted him.

"…And he thinks someone put my name in to try to _kill_ me," finished Harry.

Diana frowned deeply. "_Really_?"

"Of course, he might've been being _paranoid_," Harry added quickly.

"Maybe, maybe not," Diana responded thoughtfully, "Sirius said something in one of his letters about Dumbledore _'reading the signs,'_ even though everyone else _wasn't_. Think about it: you have a dream about Voldemort and Wormtail wanting to _kill_ someone only a _little_ _while_ before the Quidditch World Cup…the Death Eaters gather again to wreak havoc there after _thirteen_ _years_ of silence…and now you _somehow_ become the _fourth_ champion in a supposed _Triwizard_ tournament…something's going _on_ here, Harry, something much bigger than _all_ of this…"

"And what's _that_?" inquired Harry.

Diana paused, before admitting, "I don't know."

She looked at Harry, to see a worried look on his face, and then smiled and put an arm around him.

"But don't you worry, Harry…we've fought Voldemort before. We'll figure this all out and we'll fight it together, I promise."

Harry smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks, Dare."

* * *

Sadly, with Ron being angry with Diana and Harry about the Goblet of Fire, the idea of fighting Voldemort together seemed like an unlikely dream. Harry and Diana were now refusing to talk to or about Ron, and Ron was doing the same thing with them. Seto, Yugi, Mokuba, Marik and Ryou were angry with Ron too for not believing Harry, so Ron had been hanging out with Hermione and some other Gryffindors to avoid them. Hermione hated being in the middle, since even she couldn't help but agree with the Japanese boys that Harry couldn't have put his name in, but didn't want to get into a fight with Ron too. 

Days passed normally but poorly for Harry. No one but his friends seemed to believe him about not putting his name in the Goblet of Fire, and a lot of students started wearing luminous red badges (fittingly made by Draco Malfoy) that read **_"Support Cedric Diggory, the Real Hogwarts Champion,"_** until you pressed your thumb against them and changed the message to a green **_"Potter Stinks." _**

"Harry-kun," Yugi said one night as he, Hermione, Diana and Harry sat alone in the red armchairs around the fire in the Gryffindor common room, "Why don't you write a letter to Sirius-san? It might take your mind off things…and he _should_ know what's going on."

"That's a good idea," noted Diana as she straightened up and looked at Harry, "He'll want to know about you being champion."

Harry nodded in agreement, before reaching down to grab his bag off the floor and taking out some parchment.

Yugi, Diana and Hermione sat by Harry as he wrote his letter to Sirius, so it turned out like this:

* * *

_**Dear Sirius,**_

_**Yugi reminded me that I should be writing to you about what's going on over here at school, so here goes…**_

_**I don't know if you've heard that the Triwizard Tournament is being held at Hogwarts this year, but on Saturday, I got picked as a fourth champion. I don't know who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, because I didn't and Dumbledore drew an Age Line around it so no one under 17 could've entered their name. The other Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory, who plays Seeker for Hufflepuff, the Beauxbatons champion is a girl named Fleur Delacour, the older sister of a girl we met at the World Cup named Gabrielle, and the Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum, the Seeker for the official Bulgarian Quidditch team. **_

_**Mione is making me tell you about Ron, who is being the biggest prat on the face of the earth right now because he won't believe me when I say I didn't enter the tournament. Mione says that I should "seek counsel" in you, but I don't want you to worry. I'm doing fine, and so are all of us, even King Ron of Jerksville. **_

_**Dare says that Remus has been keeping in touch with her over the summer (apparently Fudge is at least letting them write to each other now!), and he's been asking how you're doing. He said to Dare that he remembers you used to like camping, so I guess, wherever you are, you're probably at least a bit happy at being outside. Dare says to give Buckbeak a pet for her: I'm sure Buckbeak is happy too at being outside so much.**_

_**Well, keep yourself hidden, and write back soon.**_

_**Harry, ****Dare, Mione & **_**_Yugi_

* * *

**

"Looks good," Hermione remarked after she'd read through it again, "Why don't you have Dare's owl Aries send it, since Sirius said not to use Hedwig all the time?"

Diana chuckled. "At least Sirius doesn't have anything of _value_ that Aries could knock over when he arrives at his end…"

* * *

Harry was taken out of Potions the next day by Colin Creevey for the Triwizard Tournament's Weighing of the Wands and, apparently, for a few photos. Of course, when Diana saw him at dinner afterwards, it was very late, so those _"few" _photos must've taken a long time. 

Harry sighed in relief as he sat down between Hermione and Diana. "_Man_…I thought I'd _never_ get out of there…"

Yugi patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I know _exactly_ how you feel, Harry-kun. Fame's a real pain in the ass, isn't it?"

Harry nodded. "I'm just glad I don't have a crowd of fangirls like _Cedric_…"

He jabbed his thumb toward a group of excited, giggling girls following a tired-looking Cedric into the Great Hall.

"Where's Cho Chang, I wonder?" laughed Yugi, "I'd say Cedric-kun is wishing he had _her_ right now."

Hermione smiled grimly. "You think they're _that_ bad, to have Cedric want _Cho_ more than _them_?"

Yugi shook his head. "That's not what I meant…when that happens to _me_, Neko-chan is always there to beat them away from me with a Whack-a-Mole mallet or something…that's the _only_ reason I bet he keeps Cho around…"

Harry blushed slightly. "Cho's not _that_ bad, Yugi…"

"Probably not in _general_, no," agreed Yugi, "Just around Cedric-kun."

Harry glanced at Cedric and then nodded. Diana supposed he was thinking about if Cho wasn't with Cedric, he could try and make a move on her.

Cedric, followed closely by the group of excited girls, passed where Hermione, Diana, Harry and Yugi were sitting.

One of the girls smirked when she saw Harry and pressed the Cedric badge on her shirt to flash, **_"Potter Stinks"_** at him. Soon the others imitated her, mocking and laughing at Harry like he was some freak show at the circus.

Diana stood up, glaring furiously at the cluster of girls. "Unless any of you have something _important_ to _say_ to Harry, I'd suggest you go off on your merry way and leave him alone."

The first girl laughed at her. "What's the _matter_, Randall, got to defend your little _boyfriend_? It's not _our_ fault he snuck into the tournament!"

The other girls laughed. Diana's eyes flashed a furious red. Hermione and a newly appeared Atem got to their feet as well.

"I _advise_ you to listen to Dare and go _away_ before I decide to _make_ you," Hermione snapped, taking out her wand and pointing it threateningly at them, "I doubt _any_ amount of make-up could cover up the damage _I_ could make to your faces."

The girls squeaked at the thought of their pretty faces being cursed and glared at Hermione before leaving for their tables. Cedric looked at them.

"I'm sorry…I _told_ them not to wear those stupid badges-"

"Don't worry about it," muttered Diana.

"Yeah, _you_ didn't start making them," agreed Atem, glaring after the girls.

Cedric sighed. "Well…maybe after this tournament actually _starts_, they'll let me go off and have some time to _myself_…"

"I wouldn't _count_ on it," Atem said, his anger dissipating at Cedric's remark and sounding amused, "But don't worry, fame tends to fluctuate: one minute you're trying to pry screaming fangirls off you, the next you only have to sign _one_ autograph a day."

"I'll take your word for it, since you have _experience_," Cedric smiled at Atem, before looking at Diana and adding, "So you don't…I mean…"

"I don't hold the badges or what those girls said against you," Diana assured, holding a hand up as if she were a witness vowing to tell the truth in court, "Because I know you'd _love_ a chance to throw both the _badges_ and the _girls_ into the Lake for the Giant Squid to deal with."

Cedric smiled broadly. "Thanks."

"_CEDRIC_!"

Cho, appearing seemingly from nowhere, pounced on Cedric and hugged him tightly.

"I _missed_ you! Where have you been?"

Diana sweatdropped at the absurdity of the scene in front of her. _/Why are these two going out again/_

"Just the Weighing of the Wands," choked Cedric, looking embarrassed, "It's no big _deal_…"

"I heard there was a _reporter_ there!" Cho told him, "What kinds of questions did she ask?"

"Annoying ones that she wouldn't let us _answer_ because she apparently can read our minds and write down what we'd _never_ say just to make a good _story_," Harry muttered irritably as Cho asked Cedric more shrill questions.

* * *

**Kitty: Done! (hums _"Why Does This Always Happen to Me?"_) Harry, this really _does _work as your theme song! **

**Harry: (sweatdrop) Greaaaaaaaaaat. First everyone knows my name, then I get my own book series...and now I have my own theme song. What else do I need?  
**

**Yugi: A logo: hell, everyone has a logo. I mean, our show have the kanji and _"Yu-Gi-Oh"_ thing, Kaiba-kun has the KC thing...hell, even the Muppets have that _"The Muppet Show"_ heading Kermit pokes his head through the O.**

**Bakura: (eye twitches) M-Muppets..._no_...n-not..._EEK_! (hides under Kitty's covers)**

**Everyone: (blinks in surprise)**

**Yugi: Nani?**

**Lina: (sighs) Ever since Miss Piggy showed him up, he's been like that.**

**Atem: (smirks) Really? (leaves and comes back, dragging the Great Gonzo behind him)**

**Gonzo: Wow! Nice digs, Kitty!**

**Kitty: (grins) Thanks, Gonzo. I'm honored to have your genius grace my humble abode.**

**Gonzo: (excitedly) Genius? Really? **

**Kitty: (eagerly) Most definitely. You are the most brilliant whatever I have ever met.**

**Lina: He's the _only _whatever you've ever met.**

**Kitty: (whacks Lina with her Whack-a-Mole mallet)**

**Gonzo: (notices the hiding Bakura) Um...are you alright, sir? **

**Bakura: (jumps about three feet in the air) _AHHHHHHHHH_!**

**Atem: (roars with laughter)**

**Diana: (bonks Atem on the head and gives Bakura a hug) It's okay, Baku-kun, it's okay...**

**Bakura: (shivering) Keep them away...keep them away... **

**Gonzo: (blink, blink) Wow! I've never scared someone before...cool.**

**Kitty: (sweatdrop) Um...Mr. Gonzo? Why don't we go and visit Camilla? I've heard you two have a nice little condo near here, right?**

**Gonzo: Oh yes, yes! We just finished putting up the rubber chicken wallpaper: it looks fabulous! (grabs Kitty's hand and pulls her out of the room)**

**Yugi: (sweatdrop) I'm sure Kitten will get a kick out of that... (sighs) R&R! **


	15. Chapter 14: Into the Fire

**Kitty: New chappie!**

**Yugi: And Claire-chan's 18. (grins)**

**Kitty: Yeppers. I'm glad she liked the card I gave her.**

**Yugi: It had me and Kaiba-kun on it. Who wouldn't?**

**Kitty: Emessa, since her bishie is Bakura-san? **

**Bakura: (smirks) Sounds about right.  
**

**Yugi: But Emessa would like Claire, I think. She generally likes _most _people even if she's the Wicked Witch of the East and she has a major dislike for Sirius.**

**Kitty: Speaking of Sirius, I better get to the chapter.**

**Lina: (nods) You do that, and you all... (looks at audience) Can R&R!**

**

* * *

_ Chapter Fourteen:_**

_**Into the Fire**_

Harry received a reply from Sirius later that evening that read,

* * *

_**Harry (et al.), **_

_**I can't say everything I'd like to in a letter: if someone intercepted this, it would jeopardize not only me, but you all as well. **_

_**Harry, we need to talk face-to-face. Can you ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at 1:00 AM on November 22nd? I don't mind if Dare, Mione, Yugi or even Ron is there (hopefully he'll have turned around and realized you wouldn't lie about something like this by the time you reply), but no one else. I know very well that you can take care of yourself, Harry, and if you can't, your friends, as well as Dumbledore and now Moody, are always around to help you. With that in mind, it's unlikely anyone will be able to hurt you in a normal setting. The Tournament, however, you have to fight alone, and you have to fight the challenges without help, so be extra careful, since it'd be very easy for someone to kill you in a task and make it look like an accident. **_

_**Dare, you may tell Moony and Clawpaw that I'm doing well but I am starting to appreciate every meal more and more each day. Trickster used to say that I took everything I had for granted…well, I'm not anymore! Rats taste terrible.**_

_**Yugi, Mione, Dare, Ron, Seto, Mokuba, Ryou and Marik, you all need to be on the watch as well. If someone is after Harry, it's very likely they might try to get you out of the way first so that they can get to Harry without your interference.**_

_**Let me know about November 22nd as soon as possible, and don't forget to keep me informed about what's going on over at Hogwarts.**_

_**Sirius

* * *

**_

Diana couldn't help but feel concerned when Sirius mentioned speaking to Harry _"face-to-face,"_ but Hermione and Yugi immediately assured her and Harry that they'd make sure no one would go downstairs and interrupt the conversation, so she felt a little bit better about the whole thing.

Unfortunately, where one worry left her, another took its place, for a few days later, the article about the Triwizard champions was published, and Diana was horrified enough after hearing it was by Rita Skeeter, let alone what the article said. The supposed _"Triwizard Cup" _article was more like a many paged, highly colored life story of Harry.

Diana's eyes moved in quick straight lines as she read the article, her eyes narrowing and her scowl becoming more prominent with each sentence.

"What a load of _crap_!" she hissed, "_Honestly_…**_'"I suppose I get my strength from my parents," Harry comments for our reporter, "I know they'd be proud if they could see me now… Yes, sometimes at night I cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it…!"_**' I don't believe for a _second _you said anything _like _that, Harry."

Harry scowled too. "I've never said anything the least bit _like _that in my entire _life_, let _alone _to her in that broomstick cupboard."

"_She interviewed you in a broomstick cupboard_?" Yugi asked incredulously, "Well, she could use a mop from that cupboard to clean up her facts."

Diana reached a particular section, and her mouth dropped open in fury.

"_Why that_…! _**'Harry Potter has found love at Hogwarts. Colin Creevey, a close friend of Harry's, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Diana Randall, the daughter of the murdered Auror, Carly Randall, who, like Harry and many of his friends, has a desire for attention. To date, she has accompanied Harry on every dangerous escapade he has gone on: this reporter wonders how Miss Randall will cope with her inability to help Harry in the Triwizard Tournament…'**_ Firstly, since when has Colin Creevey been a _'close friend,'_ Harry?"

"_Never_," the Boy Who Lived replied, crossing his arms, "And you _don't _have a desire for _attention_…you just have to save my ass all the time."

"_'Desire for attention…'_" Yugi repeated sourly, "Sounds like the stuff they used to publish about _me _after I won at Duelist Kingdom…of course, those reporters _also _wrote about me _supposedly _having an affair with Kaiba-kun and having sex with him right before every duel so he'd let me _win_."

Diana turned to the last page of the article and skimmed the paragraph. "I notice that they only mention Fleur and Krum in the last _sentence_…even though I'm sure Fleur and Krum don't appreciate being known across England as _'Flo Deelacoor'_ and _'Victer Crumb.'_ _Oh_, and _Cedric's _not mentioned at all! Bet those girls who were giving you a hard time the other day aren't too happy about _that_, eh Harry?"

A group of Slytherins, including Pansy Parkinson and Malfoy, passed where they were sitting, making snide comments about the article and laughing.

"Want a _hanky_, Potter, in case you start _crying _in the middle of breakfast?" mocked a weedy, dark-haired boy.

"Hey Randall, how's your _relationship _going?" derided Pansy Parkinson, "You gonna cry when you can't save Potter's ass in the first task?"

Diana made ready to stand, but both Yugi and Hermione grabbed one of her arms and pulled her down so she'd sit down again.

"Pansy, shut your face," she snapped, not turning to look at her.

Pansy shrieked with laughter. "What you going to do, make your mummy come back from the dead and _haunt _us?"

"No," Diana growled, still being held down by Hermione and Yugi so she couldn't get up and jinx the hell out of Pansy, "I don't _need _my mother to curse you into _oblivion_. Now go off and get a _life_…I'm sure your family could _afford _one, since they have a hobby of _taking _lives as it is."

Pansy's cheeks went pink. Some of the other Slytherins made angry movements toward her. Malfoy, however, didn't work to defend Pansy's dignity: he merely watched Diana struggle to get free from her friends' grasp like he was thinking hard about something.

"I'll show _you_!" cried Pansy, taking out her wand.

But Atem appeared in Yugi's place and stood up, his red eyes flashing. The Slytherins shrank back: Malfoy's eyes widened and he almost fell backward into the Hufflepuff table.

"I don't know if you have ever heard of a _Shadow Game_, Parkinson," the past Pharaoh stated coldly, "But if you don't get out of here _now_, I might be tempted to introduce you to one."

Pansy at first tried to act brave and snap back at who she thought was Yugi, but Malfoy gave her a look that could translate as _"Don't say yes unless you actually want to die,"_ and she put her wand back in her pocket, snorted loudly and stalked off. The others soon followed her: Malfoy was the last to leave, giving Diana, then Harry, a glare before taking off.

"That was _wicked_, but you should've let _me_ finish them," Diana muttered.

Atem smirked. "You're sounding more and more like the Tomb Robber every day…knock it off before you have a _sex change_."

"_What _about me and a sex change?"

Bakura had just come over with Seto and Marik.

Diana got up and put her arm around Bakura in a slight hug: the thief wrapped his arm around her too, looking happy to see her.

"Quit hanging around with this lot instead of me," he muttered to her with a wry smile, "You _know _I only come out to hang out with _you_, _not _this idiot who calls himself a _Pharaoh_."

Diana grinned. "I'll try to remember that."

Bakura tightened his grip around her, before turning to smirk at Atem.

"Can I believe my _ears_? Did our _precious_, goody good Pharaoh _actually _challenge Parkinson to a _Yami no Game_?"

"Shut it," retorted Atem, "You _know _I was only doing it to _scare _her."

"Good thing _Malfoy _knew to get away," commented Marik, "If _he'd _been the one to play, you always could've turned him into a ferret again."

Harry laughed. Atem smiled slightly at the memory.

"Hey…" said Hermione, frowning, "Where's Mokuba?"

Marik jabbed his thumb toward the Ravenclaw table: Mokuba seemed to be in a very animated conversation with Gabrielle.

"Does _she _think I cheated my way in too?" asked Harry dully.

"No," Marik sighed, smiling, "Gabrielle-chan told Mokuba-kun she trusted him and Dare-kun enough to know if you were lying."

"That's good," Diana muttered, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of Ron entering the Great Hall with Dean Thomas, "At least _someone _does."

Hermione covered her face with her hand and shook her head.

"Did you see the article?" Seto inquired to change the subject, holding up his own copy of the Daily Prophet and looking as surly as Krum usually looked.

Yugi reappeared, scowling. "We scanned through it…what _crap_."

"Then you _wouldn't _have caught the section she wrote about _us_," the CEO told him, opening up the newspaper and reading a section of it out loud, "_**'It seems that Harry Potter is not just looking for attention through this tournament. In fact, Harry is becoming more and more famous just by the company he keeps. In his year are four exchange students infamous in the Japanese world of Duel Monsters (Yogi Moto, top-ranked duelist in the world and self-proclaimed "King of Games," Setae Kaiba, President of the often-disgraced gaming company KaibaCorp, Rio Bravura, suspicious cross-dresser finalist in KaibaCorp's Battle City Tournament, and Merrick Fishtail, psychotic second-placer in the Battle City Tournament), who Harry Potter gravitated toward and became friends with almost instantly. One must wonder whether Harry is simply wishing for more attention, or that he somehow finds this circle of celebrities a sanctuary where he can find people to understand his inner desire.'**_"

Bakura, Yugi and Marik's mouths had dropped open.

"THAT _BITCH_!" Marik shouted, "MY LAST NAME IS _NOT _FISHTAIL!"

* * *

Diana was waiting for Harry early the next morning in Gryffindor Tower. Hermione and Yugi fortunately didn't have to throw Dungbombs around the room so that everyone else would stay out and not interrupt her, Harry and Sirius's conversation. Harry had gone off with Hagrid that night under his Invisibility Cloak to get an idea of what he'd have to do for the first task. 

Artemis's Heir looked at her watch: 12:59.

_/Harry, what's taking you?…/_

At that moment, the portrait hole opened.

"Dare?" Harry called under his breath.

"I'm here," she whispered back, "You barely made it-"

"_Sirius_!" gasped Harry.

Diana turned to look at the fireplace.

A see-through, misty version of Sirius's head was sitting in the fire like a hairy egg, sparks flying around it and flames licking his ears. His face looked a little fuller than the gaunt face he'd had when they first met and his hair looked shorter and a bit tamer than before.

"Hey, Sirius," Harry greeted as he sat down on the rug between Diana's armchair and the fireplace, "Are you doing okay?"

"Never mind about me," Sirius replied seriously, "How are you?"

"I'm…"

Harry looked ready to say _"I'm fine,"_ but he just couldn't.

"I'm _screwed_," he confessed, "Hagrid's just shown me the dragons they're going to use for the first task-"

"_Dragons_?" Diana repeated in horror, "You have to _fight _a _dragon_, Harry?"

Harry nodded worriedly. "Didn't I _tell _you I was screwed?"

Sirius, despite his concern, answered, "_Dragons_ we can deal with, Harry…I have to warn you about something, and I don't have much time."

"_Warn_?" Diana repeated in surprise, "Warn about _what_?"

"Karkaroff," stated Sirius, "He was a Death Eater. Moody caught him and put him in Azkaban, but the Ministry released him later."

"_Moody_ was the one who caught him?" asked Harry, "But Moody was a great Auror, so Karkaroff _had _to have been a real Death Eater…why did they _release _him?"

"Because he gave them a lot of names of Death Eaters for them to go after and investigate," Sirius answered bitterly.

"Fitting he's teaching at _Durmstrang_, then," Diana remarked, "Durmstrang is known all over as a school for the Dark Arts."

Sirius nodded. "So keep an eye on that Durmstrang champion too."

"But wait a sec," Harry said suddenly, "Are you saying you think _Karkaroff _put my name in the Goblet of Fire? Yeah, to fool the Ministry, he has to be a good _actor_, but he really looked _mad _when I was made the fourth champion…he'd be working against his own _school_."

"If _Voldemort's _involved, I think Karkaroff could ignore _that_," Diana pointed out, "But even so, Karkaroff was responsible for putting _other _Death Eaters in Azkaban…I find it hard to believe Voldemort would immediately welcome him back and give him a mission."

Sirius frowned in thought. "Yes, but Voldemort is alone and _friendless_, Dare…who _knows _how desperate he may be? Wormtail isn't _that _much help to him in the long run, since everyone still thinks he's dead."

"True," commented Harry, "But how did Voldemort find Karkaroff and learn about the Triwizard Tournament at _all_? I mean, only people at the _Ministry _knew for the longest time…"

Hearing Harry talk about the Ministry suddenly made Diana think of something Ryou had said to Ludo Bagman at the Quidditch World Cup.

_**"Bagman-sama," Ryou spoke up, frowning suddenly, "I got the Daily Prophet this summer and it kept talking about a witch gone from your department…have you heard from her yet?"**_

_**Bagman looked at Ryou in surprise: then his look of boyish happiness returned. "Oh, you mean Bertha Jorkins…not a dicky bird yet, Ryou, but don't you worry, she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha…memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction…she'll probably come back mid-October and think it's still July."**_

"Bertha Jorkins," she breathed.

"What?" said Harry. Sirius's head shifted slightly in the fire to look at her.

"_Bertha Jorkins_," Diana recurred, "The Ministry witch who vanished over the summer…Aunt Gwen said she vanished near _Albania_, and…"

**_"My only question to that story is…how did Voldemort possess Ginny and Marik when my sources tell me he is currently hiding in Albania?"_**

"…_Yes_! Dumbledore said that Voldemort was last seen in _Albania_! _That's _how Voldemort knows about the Tournament! You remember Imperius and Cruciatus from our lesson with Moody, Harry, Voldemort probably found her there and forced information out of her!"

Harry's eyes widened. "That _does _make sense…"

He probably would've said more, but the sound of footsteps coming down the spiral staircase made him freeze.

"Go, quick!" Diana hissed at Sirius, "Someone's coming!"

Harry scrambled to his feet as Sirius's head vanished from the fireplace.

Ron came down the stairs in his maroon paisley pajamas: he stopped at the sight of Harry and Diana, before looking around the room.

"Who were you two talking to?" he asked.

"What's that got to do with _you_?" snarled Harry, "What are you doing up at _this _time of night, anyway?"

Diana figured Harry was likely irritated at their discussion with Sirius being cut off: she herself, however, thought Ron at least aught to know, even though they were fighting and she was still very angry with him.

"We were talking with Padfoot," she told Ron quietly, "Unfortunately we thought you were someone who could get him _arrested_, so we had to stop our conversation with him. _He _believes Harry, surprisingly enough," she added coldly.

Ron's gaze hardened. "I was just wondering where you _were_…but _whatever_, I'll leave you _alone_…after all, Harry needs to brush up for his next _interview_, doesn't he?"

As he turned to go, Harry took a **_"Support Cedric Diggory!"_** badge that had obviously been left behind by a student on the table and chucked it at the back of Ron's head. Ron whirled around, and looked down at the badge on the floor.

"There you go," Harry snapped, "Something for you to wear at the first task on Tuesday. You might even have a _scar _now if you're _lucky_…that's what you _want_, isn't it?"

With that, the Boy Who Lived brushed past Ron angrily and ran up the stairs to the boys' dorm.

Diana glared down at the badge, then up at Ron. "He's _always _believed in you…what made you stop doing the same for _him_?"

She stood from the armchair and followed Harry's path upstairs to bed.

* * *

**Kitty: Voila! C'est finished!**

**Yugi: Poor Harry-kun.**

**Marik: Poor _us_, you mean! I can't believe Rita Skeeter pulled us into her article!  
**

**Ryou: (vehemently) _Crossdresser_, that stupid _bitch_...I'm going to _murder _her for that.  
**

**Others: (stare at Ryou)**

**Bakura: (sweatdrop) Oh _shit_...don't tell me I actually had an _impact _on this ninny Hikari of mine!**

**Ryou: I AM _NOT _A NINNY! **

**Bakura: (shrinks back in fear)**

**Marik: (sweatdrops) Er...R&R, everyone! **


	16. Chapter 15: Treating for the First Task

**Kitty: (sings) _Always look on the bright side on life..._ (whistles to the tune)**

**Yugi: Hard to do these days, eh Kitten?**

**Kitty: Amen. (ahem) Hey, all! (waves excitedly)**

**Melisanne: (comes in) Hey, Kitty?**

**Kitty: Yeah?**

**Melisanne: I wonder if I could borrow some handcuffs?**

**Kitty: Sure! (takes a pair of handcuffs and the key out from a drawer in her nightstand) Why?**

**Melisanne: Well, let's just say _"Schadenfreude"_ gave me a few ideas... (wink)**

**Kitty: (grins) Hope you like them...I enjoyed using 'em on Yugi, but somehow I think Seto will _love _being dominated for a night. (giggles)**

**Melisanne: (smirks and leaves)**

**Yugi: (shakes his head, grinning) Aiyah...poor Kaiba-kun... (to audience) R&R, guys and gals!**

_**Chapter Fifteen:**_

_**Treating for the First Task**_

Diana joined Hermione in the library on Sunday to help look for things Harry could use to fight his dragon for the first task on Tuesday, to find the bookworm looking very irritated.

"Why does he _always_ have to come _here_?" Hermione muttered sourly, "I'm _sure_ that Durmstrang ship has _plenty_ of places where he can read and study quietly…"

"Who are you talking about?" Diana inquired.

Hermione jabbed her thumb over to a table in the corner where Viktor Krum was sitting with a large pile of books.

"I predict his group of fans will come around any moment, and I'll have to leave _again_ to find somewhere else where I can _concentrate_," she explained in annoyance.

Diana glanced over at Krum just in time to see him look at them and then look down again so that his head was hiding behind the stack of books.

"Mione, it looks like he's hiding from the fans here to _me_," Artemis's Heir commented, "That, and either he _heard_ you or he likes _looking_ at you."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at her, sighed and went back to her book.

"I haven't found _anything_…in all the _dragon_ books, all I see is ways to take _care_ of dragons, and in the _spellbooks_, all I see is _nonsense_. I mean…_who_ would want their nose hair to grow in _ringlets_?"

Diana chuckled despite her concern at not finding anything to help Harry.

"Dare," Hermione said tentatively, "Are you _sure_ we should be helping Harry this _much_? I mean, the tasks are meant to _test_ him…"

"Yes, but Harry is _not_ that much of a studier and if he came to the library, he'd have to do what _Krum_ is doing just so those **_'Support Cedric Diggory' _**people won't bother him," replied Diana, "And hey, Harry will be tested _plenty_ in courage and stuff while fighting the dragon…besides, do you _really_ think Fleur or Krum will be entirely without help? Harry said that their headmasters told them about the first task too, so they're going to try and help them out as much as possible."

_/Rita Skeeter says I can't help him?.../_ she thought to herself angrily, _/Well, she is dead wrong. I promised Harry we'd do this together, and we will/_

"What about _Cedric, _though?" pressed Hermione, "He's the only one who doesn't know…he'll be at a disadvantage."

Diana hadn't thought about that until then, and her sky-blue eyes widened. "Someone's got to tell him!"

As if on cue, Harry came into the library, looking a little flustered. Some students by the entrance flashed, _**"Potter Stinks"** _at him, but he ignored them and walked right over to Diana and Hermione.

"I know how I'm going to get past the dragon," he whispered.

"How?" Diana and Hermione inquired in unison.

Harry glanced around the library that held not only Slytherins and **_"Support Cedric"_** Hufflepuffs, but also Krum and some Beauxbatons students. "Lets go back to the common room, and I'll tell you on the way."

So the three left the library and Harry told him about what had happened.

Apparently Hermione wasn't the _first_ one to realize Cedric was the only one that didn't know about the dragons, since Harry had decided to pull him aside and tell him. But Moody had overheard him and asked him to come to his office. The professor didn't punish him, though: instead he told him to use a strategy to play to his strengths and, since he only could have his wand for the task, to use a spell to get him what he needed. And there was only _one_ plan where Harry could do both of those things…

"_Harry, are you crazy_?" squeaked Hermione, "Master a Summoning Charm so that you can summon your Firebolt from the boys' dorm about _ten miles_ away from the arena? You only have _two_ _days_ before the _task_!"

Harry sighed. "Look, I _know_ it'll be hard, but _you_ know how to do one, Mione, you and Seto can help me…once I can summon my Firebolt, it'll be _easy_ to grab the egg."

"_Easy_ to play one-on-one Quidditch with a fire-breathing dragon?" muttered Diana with a slight smile, "Somehow I _doubt_ that."

--------

It was Tuesday. Diana woke up in the Hospital Wing after a painful night of Artemis's abuse completely healed and immediately got up to head down to the stadium where the first task would be held.

She knew that Harry had been training with Hermione and Seto since Sunday, but she still couldn't help but be worried it somehow wasn't going to be enough.

Madame Pomfrey entered as Diana put on her shoes.

"Well, let's get going," she told her, sounding a bit bitter as she muttered under her breath, "_Dragons_, I _ask_ you…as if I don't have _enough_ to do…"

Diana thought of the dragons blasting fire at everything and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She wasn't really sure what made her say it, but the words "I can help you if you want," slipped out before she had really thought about it.

"Oh, _would_ you?" Madame Pomfrey asked gratefully, "That's _very_ kind of you…here, carry this for me…"

She threw her a white satchel filled with different healing potions, and Diana reluctantly tossed the bag over her shoulder and followed the nurse out of the Hospital Wing. She had been looking forward to watching the task in the stands with Hermione and the Japanese boys…

_/Oh well/_ she thought with a shrug, _/At least I'll be able to see Harry right after he fights his dragon instead of having to wait…/_

--------

"Take out those potions and put them on that table, would you, Randall?" said Madame Pomfrey, scrambling to get four cots ready for the champions.

Diana did so while listening to Bagman announcing Cedric as the first to fight his dragon, a Swedish Short Snout.

"Hey Poppy, can I go out and watch when it's Harry's turn?" she asked her.

"It's Madame Pomfrey to _you_, young lady, _how_ many times do I have to _tell_ you _that_?" snapped the nurse, "And no, I predict I'll need your help in here."

Diana sighed and nodded disappointedly, but a loud set of gasps from the crowds made her turn to look at the door of the tent in worry.

The crowd cheered to signal Cedric had succeeded in retrieving the golden egg from his dragon: Madame Pomfrey stood abruptly and took out her wand.

"Stay here, Randall, and wait for my instructions," she muttered as she lifted up the flap of the tent and went outside.

When she returned, she entered frantically while pulling along behind her a stretcher levitated a few feet off the ground.

"Randall, get that thing of orange paste for me!"

Diana, her heart skipping a beat as she saw a badly burned Cedric on the stretcher, snatched the fat jug of orange gunk and handed it to her. Madame Pomfrey levitated the close-eyed Cedric off the stretcher and onto a cot, unscrewed the jug and began to apply the orange paste to the Hufflepuff's burned skin. Suddenly another round of applause signaled Fleur Delacour's success, and Madame Pomfrey looked at Diana.

"Apply that evenly to his burns," she said to her, handing her the bottle of orange paste, "I better mop up Miss Delacour."

Diana nodded and sat down in a chair next to the cot as she left. She reached into the jug, scooped out a handful of slimy orange paste and rubbed it as gently as she could to Cedric's skin.

Cedric's gray eyes slowly opened and he blinked a few times so his vision could get back in focus.

"Welcome back," Diana greeted, "You feeling alright?"

Cedric attempted a weak grin. "_Sure_, I've been through worse things than _this_…" he hissed in pain when he unsuccessfully tried to push his head up further onto his pillow, "Can't think of any right _now_, but…"

Diana lifted his head up and moved his pillow down so that it was directly under his head, and Cedric smiled gratefully.

Madame Pomfrey returned just then and barked at Diana, "Get me my apron, Randall…I need to repair this girl's skirt…"

After reaching over to yank the white apron off the coat tree in the corner and tossing it to Madame Pomfrey, Diana noticed that the bottom of Fleur's skirt was singed, and that it was way too short to be part of the Beauxbatons school uniform.

"_Le dragon a fait cela, je supposent_?" she asked Fleur.

Fleur looked at her, startled. "_Vous êtes cette ami de Gabrielle…Deanna_?"

Diana nodded. "_Oui_."

Fleur sighed and nodded too as she put on the apron so she could take off her skirt and let Madame Pomfrey repair it.

"_J'étais si étroit_..." she muttered in annoyance, gesturing with her pointer finger and thumb to show how close she'd supposedly been.

"_J'espère juste que les garçons n'ont pas vu trop_," Diana joked.

Fleur snorted. "_Je ne pense pas qu'un quelconque des garçons dans la foule mériteraient une telle chose._"

Diana smirked slightly at that before returning to her application of the orange paste to Cedric's burns.

"I didn't know you spoke French," remarked the Hufflepuff champion.

Diana looked at him, surprised at the abruptness of the statement, and then smiled. "Yeah…I study it with my aunt during the summer."

"Huh," Cedric murmured with a nod that made him wince.

"Don't move too much," Diana advised him as she applied the orange paste to his neck, "You'll only hurt more."

Cedric's eyes vaguely went over her face: his expression was strained, trying to hold back a look of pain.

"Sorry," Diana whispered sheepishly, "I'm not really _used_ to this…Poppy here just was busy, so I decided to help…I know I'm not really _gentle_."

"_No_!" Cedric replied a bit too forcefully, before adding more quietly, "Well _yeah_, you're not that _gentle_, but…I like it. It's…_confident_…and _persistent_…kind of like _you_ are, I guess."

Diana chuckled. "_Wow_, I never knew you could learn about someone by how they rub _cream_ into your skin. Guess I'll have to keep that in _mind_."

Her ears pricked up at the sound of applause again captivating the crowd.

"_Krum a obtenu après le dragon, je supposent_," Fleur commented.

Diana nodded, looking at the flap of the tent in concern. "_Seulement Harry est laissé maintenant…_"

Fleur looked at her in a kind of judgmental thoughtfulness as Krum entered the tent and Madame Pomfrey started cleaning up a slash-like wound across his face. "_Vous êtes des amis avec Harry Potter_?" 

"_Oui_," Diana replied, "_Je suis Diana Randall_."

Fleur's eyes widened slightly. "_Vous êtes la copine de Harry Potter_?"

Diana felt her hatred toward Rita Skeeter magnify. "_Non, il est juste mon ami. Rita Skeeter est simplement désespéré pour un article. Si elle était une vraie journaliste, elle vous donnerait, Cedric et Krum que plus respectent_."

The corner of Fleur's mouth went up in a very slight smile. "_Et…vous pensez qu'il a une chance_?"

Diana nodded. "_Oui. Il a travaillé très dur_."

"_Ayez-ainsi nous_," Fleur pointed out, "_Et regard à nous_."

Diana would've said more, but the loud cheering of the crowd and the excited voice of Bagman made her turn to eye the flap of the tent.

Harry came in, his left arm bleeding, but otherwise unharmed, holding both his Firebolt and his golden egg and breathing hard.

Diana stood up, ran over and glomped him tightly. "You_ did _it, Harry, you _did_ it! I'm so _proud_ of you! I _knew_ you could do it!"

Harry looked surprised to see her, but hugged her back with his unwounded arm and grinned at her. "Thanks, Dare."

"_Randall_, if you'd grab me that purple bottle, please!" called Madame Pomfrey as she took a look at the cut on Harry's arm.

"Sure thing, Poppy!" Diana responded, letting go of Harry and grabbing a small purple bottle off the table.

"It's _Madame Pomfrey_, young lady!" the nurse growled as she snatched the bottle out of her hand and poured a little bit of it onto Harry's wound.

Harry sat on his cot as Diana rubbed a bit more of the orange paste to Cedric's burned cheek, and then screwed the lid back onto the jug.

"There…are they feeling a bit better now, Cedric?"

"A little," Cedric answered with a slight smile.

"You want some water or anything?" she offered.

"No, I'm fine," he assured her, "Thanks, Diana."

"Call me Dare," she muttered, sticking out her tongue in amused disgust, "Only my _aunt_ calls me Diana."

Cedric looked a bit surprised, but recovered quickly and said, "Okay. Thanks for everything…_Dare_."

The flap of the tent opened and Diana turned to see Hermione and the Japanese boys enter.

"That was _perfect_, Harry-kun!" Seth congratulated, patting him on the shoulder, "Seto-chan says he's seen _full-grown wizards_ have trouble Summoning stuff from so far away, but you did it like it was _nothing_!"

Hermione hugged Harry, looking traumatized and ecstatic at the same time. "Oh Harry, I'm so _proud_ of you…you did so, so, so _well_!"

"Yeah, after giving Mione-kun here a heart attack," Bakura joshed.

Atem, Marik, Mokuba and Diana laughed. Hermione glowered at him.

It was then the flap was lifted up again to reveal a white-faced Ron.

Diana and Harry's smiles immediately left their faces. The Yamis looked as if they were cowboys in a shootout waiting for Ron to be the first to draw. Hermione watched worriedly as her friends stared at each other in silence.

"_Harry_…" Ron stated at last in a very serious, quiet voice, "Whoever put your name in that Goblet…I-I reckon they're trying to do you in!"

A broad grin unfurled on Harry's face. Mokuba was finally able to breath again. Diana got up, went over to Ron and gave him a hug.

"Welcome back, Ronnie," she teased gently.

Ron smiled too. "I almost _missed_ you teasing me like that. Just don't go _punching_ me again, that _hurts_."

Harry walked over and hugged Ron too. Hermione then joined them, then Mokuba, then Atem, then Marik, and the friends all gathered around in a huge group hug, laughing in relief and mussing up Ron's hair, glad to not be fighting anymore.

**Yugi: End! **

**Kitty: (sings) _Purpose...it's that little thing that lights a fire under your ass..._ (ahem) Um...let's see, about two weeks until I go back to Maryland...**

**Noa: (comes in) And school.**

**Kitty: Yep...I'm gonna be a _junior_. SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT! (runs around the room like a chicken with its head cut off)**

**Yugi: (grabs Kitty and pulls her onto the bed to calm her down) It's alright, Neko-chan...it's okay. With school comes Drama, remember?**

**Kitty: AND MY CHILDRENS PLAY! (punches the air)**

**Noa: Huh? What play?**

**Kitty: I wrote a play for Creative Writing class last year and the Drama teacher T said that it would work well for the yearly childrens play our school performs for the elementary schools...I'll be directing it all by myself!**

**Noa: Wow! Congrats, Kitty!**

**Kitty: Thanks, Noa-kun! (glomps him) Oh, by the way...Fleur and Dare's conversation translates as:**

_J'étais si étroit_. - _**I was this close.**_

_J'espère juste que les garçons n'ont pas vu trop_. - _**I just hope the boys didn't see too much.**_

_Je ne pense pas qu'un quelconque des garçons dans la foule mériteraient une telle chose. - **I don't think any of the boys in the crowd deserved that.**  
_

_Krum a obtenu après le dragon, je supposent_.- _**Krum just got past the dragon, I suppose.**_

_Seulement Harry est laissé maintenant…- **Only Harry's left now...**  
_

_Vous êtes des amis avec Harry Potter_?- **_You're friends with Harry Potter?_**

_Oui. __Je suis Diana Randall_.- _**Yes. I'm Diana Randall.**_

_Vous êtes la copine de Harry Potter_?- _**You're Harry Potter's girlfriend?**_

_Non, il est juste mon ami. Rita Skeeter est simplement désespéré pour un article. Si elle était une vraie journaliste, elle vous donnerait, Cedric et Krum que plus respectent_.- _**No, he's just my friend. Rita Skeeter is only desperate for an article. If she was a true journalist, she would have given you, Cedric and Krum more respect.**_

_Et…vous pensez qu'il a une chance_?- _**And...you think he has a chance?**_

_Oui. Il a travaillé très dur_.**- _Yes. He's worked very hard._**

_Ayez-ainsi nous_, _et regard à nous_.- _**So have we, and look at us. **_

**Noa: (grins) R&R! **


	17. Chapter 16: Champions, Creatures & Cars

**Kitty: (sings) _I need a miracle, I want to be a girl, give me a chance to see that you were made for me... _(looks up and waves) HEY ALL!  
**

**Yugi: Kitty's having her first day as a Junior tomorrow...**

**Kitty: So my updates probably won't be as regular with school, but fortunately, I've already written all the chapters up to 21, so I can just post instead writing then posting them. **

**Lina: And who did you see yesterday?**

**Kitty: EMESSA-CHAN! She and I laughed and talked and had much fun, yessers. (grins like a dork)**

**Noa: So...onto the chapter, Kitty?  
**

**Kitty: Yep! (to audience) R&R, y'all! **

_**Chapter Sixteen:**_

_**Champions, Creatures and Cars**_

Later that day while walking up to the Owlery to send Sirius an explanation of the challenge with Ron's owl Pigwidgeon (or _"Pig,"_ since Ron didn't like the name Ginny came up with), the other Gryffindors told Ron about everything Sirius had told Harry and Diana in the fireplace. They had expected him to be surprised, but Ron actually had suspected as much.

"Like Dare said, he's head of _Durmstrang_," the Weasley remarked, "Besides, I heard Malfoy buttering up to Krum in the hall the other day, saying he _almost_ went to Durmstrang _himself_…apparently his dad and Karkaroff are old _buddies_…"

"And we _all_ know Lucius Malfoy was there with the Death Eaters at the World Cup," Harry agreed bitterly, "So Karkaroff _easily_ could have been there as well."

Ron nodded. "But you know, Harry…if Karkaroff _did_ put your name in that Goblet, I bet he's really pissed at himself _now_…you did best out of all of the champions, even his _own_ student! I _really_ think you can go all the way and _win_ this thing, Harry!"

Harry grinned, glad to have Ron supporting him again.

"Yes, Karkaroff _may_ have underestimated him," Hermione commented seriously, "But now he'll _know_ not to do it again. And Harry only _really_ thought of his plan because Moody gave him good tips that led him to it only two days before the task."

"Way to be an _optimist_, Mione," Ron snorted as he opened the window to let Pig fly off with the letter.

"She's _right_, though," Diana murmured as they headed out of the Owlery again to the Gryffindor common room, "If this was just the _first_ task, there's bound to be a lot _more_ challenging things on the way…Harry isn't out of the woods yet."

"Hai, but we've all been through dangerous stuff _before_, and we've _always_ pulled through _somehow_," Yugi pointed out, "Harry-kun completed the first task, and we'll be there to help him complete the others too."

---------

In the Gryffindor common room, Fred and George had set up a huge party for Harry, complete with Filibuster Fireworks, delicious food and large banners with drawings by their Gryffindor dorm-mate, Dean Thomas, of Harry flying around the Horntail on his broom, Fleur putting out the fire on her skirt with some water from her wand, Krum being slammed by his dragon's tail across the arena and Cedric looking as if he just came off a barbeque grill.

Diana eyed the pictures reproachfully, but said nothing to Dean, thinking he probably was just really excited about Harry (and, therefore, Gryffindor house) doing so well.

"Where did you get all this food?" Hermione asked the Weasley twins in amazement, while Ron chowed down on pastries and sweets arranged on a table in the corner.

"We just went down to the kitchens and asked the house-elves for some," Fred answered nonchalantly.

"_House-elves_?" repeated Hermione, sounding shocked, "There are _house-elves _at _Hogwarts_?"

"But of course," Fred replied, frowning down at Hermione, "Who _else_ would make all that food for every meal and still have time to make our beds and such? There's a whole bunch of them."

"You're _kidding_!" Hermione cried, "I've never ever _seen_ one!"

"They're very busy," George told her unconcernedly, "They don't like being distracted from their work."

"They don't _like_ it, or they're not _allowed_ to?" Hermione pressed angrily.

"They don't like it," said Fred, now sounding a bit suspicious at Hermione's reaction to this, "We've seen them _loads_ of times…they _loved_ making all this stuff for us…acted like they were having the time of their lives."

Hermione huffed, obviously disbelieving, and muttered something about restricting possible job opportunities for non-humans.

"Hey Harry, open that egg!" Lee Jordan urged him, "What's the clue?"

"Yeah, Harry!" some people echoed, "Go on and open it!"

Harry sat in one of the cozy Gryffindor armchairs and pulled the egg into his lap. He looked down at it in curiosity, before digging his nails into the groove that ran around it and prying it open.

There was nothing inside, but the moment he opened the egg, a horrible, loud, screechy, wailing sound echoed out of it around the room. Diana and a lot of the other people put their hands to their ears, and Harry quickly slammed it shut.

"What the hell was _that_?" inquired Angelina Johnson.

"Sounded like a _banshee_ or something," commented Seamus Finnigan, "Maybe _that's_ what you've got to fight."

"It sounded like someone being _tortured_!" squeaked Neville, who had gone very white, "Are you going to have to fight the _Cruciatus Curse_?"

"_Doubtful_, Neville-kun," Yugi stated reassuringly, "That Curse is _illegal_, and I don't think they'd perform it on the champions even if they _could_…who _knows_ what it might do to foreign relations. Actually, it kinda sounded like Joey-kun after Neko-chan made a dinner with five-alarm chili that he inhaled unknowingly in less than ten seconds…of course, I trust you won't forward that statement over to _Joey-kun_."

Ron and Diana laughed.

---------

The next day, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins had Care of Magical Creatures. Due to the cold change in weather, Hagrid had moved the Blast-Ended Skrewts into his cabin (Diana supposed it was only the chains and such keeping them inside their boxes that kept them from burning Hagrid's house down).

"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Diana remembered Hagrid had said last lesson, "Next time we'll lay 'em down in some boxes and see if they take teh 'em."

It was apparent, however, when they arrived, that the skrewts did not hibernate, and, when Hagrid unlocked their chains to try and force them into small covered boxes in his pumpkin patch, that they did not like being forced to take naps.

Soon the skrewts were running wild around the pumpkin patch. Hagrid was yelling, "Don' panic, now, don' panic!" but it was a bit late for that, since most of the class, following Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle's example, had already taken refuge in Hagrid's hut. The only ones remaining to help Hagrid were Marik, Yugi, Neville and the Brits, and that was because Hagrid was their friend.

Diana tried stunning a skrewt so Hermione could tie a rope around its sting like Hagrid instructed, but the charm just bounced right off its armor. Frustrated, she started shooting various spells toward its underbelly while still trying to keep it from shooting fire at her.

"Be _careful_ now, Dare!" Hagrid cautioned, "Don' go _frightening_ him! Just get 'im _calmed down_ so he don't try and hurt teh _others_!"

_/Yeah, Hagrid, we wouldn't want those other skrewts getting hurt/_ Diana couldn't help but think, _/It's not any problem that it's shooting fire at me out its ass…/_

"Well, well, this _does_ look like fun," said a voice.

Diana turned to see a middle-aged-looking woman leaning on the garden fence to watch the action. Her brightly dyed blond hair was curled elaborately and rigidly around her heavily jawed face, and on that face and over her eyes was a pair of cheap, jeweled spectacles. She was dressed in a magenta cloak with a fur-trimmed collar and over her arm was a large, crocodile-skin handbag. There was something indescribable about the stranger as well, though, that made Diana immediately feel a flash of loathing toward her: perhaps it was the condescending look on her face.

Everyone stopped. Diana finally succeeded in stunning the skrewt and Hermione tied it down. Harry had a look of disgust on his face and quickly ducked behind Ron so he wasn't in immediate sight.

"Who're _you_?" inquired Hagrid, tugging the skrewt Diana and Hermione had restrained and chaining it down in one of the comfy boxes.

"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter," the stranger replied, giving him a grin that revealed three gold teeth.

_/You mean trash writer/_ Diana thought angrily, feeling her loathing toward her grow even more.

"Thought Dumbledore said yeh weren' allowed to be inside the school no more," Hagrid muttered, frowning deeply.

Rita ignored his comment. "What are _these_ fascinating creatures called?"

"Blast-Ended Shrewts," Hagrid grunted.

"_Really_?" Rita asked, sounding a bit too interested, "I've never heard of _them_ before…where are they from?"

Diana couldn't help but notice the dull flush that rose under Hagrid's black beard, and her heart sank. She knew very well that Blast-Ended Skrewts were not in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them or any other reference book on creatures. She had her own suspicions on where Hagrid's _"pets"_ had come from, but she'd hoped more than anything that she was wrong.

"They're _interesting_, aren't they?" Artemis's Heir said firmly, eying her friends significantly, "_Aren't they_?"

"Er…_yeah_!" Harry agreed quickly, "_Really_ interesting."

The others nodded.

"Ah, so _you're_ here, Harry!" Rita exclaimed, looking, if possible, even more thrilled, "How _lovely_! You _like_ Care of Magical Creatures? One of your favorite subjects?"

"Yes," Harry replied stoutly, and Hagrid beamed.

"_Lovely_," commented Rita, "_Really_ lovely…" she added to Hagrid, "Been teaching long?"

"Only me second year," Hagrid answered proudly.

"_Lovely_," Rita stated yet again, her eyes traveling over Marik (who had a slash-like cut across his face), Yugi (whose robes were singed) and Neville (who was nursing several burnt fingers), "I don't suppose you'd like to give an _interview_, would you, Hagrid? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday…we could feature these…_er_…Bang-Ended Scoots."

"Blast-Ended Skrewts," Hagrid corrected eagerly, "But…_yeah_, why _not_?"

"Uh, Hagrid-san, I don't think-" started Marik.

But Hagrid and Rita Skeeter had already gone off to discuss arrangements to meet at the Three Broomsticks for a good long interview later in the week.

"I've got a _bad_ feeling about that interview," Yugi muttered as they headed back up to the castle.

Diana and Harry nodded.

"You wait and see, she'll twist _everything_ he says," Ron assented under his breath, "_'Zoological column,' _my _ass_…all she wants to do is to dig up more dirt on _you_, Harry…"

"And ruin Hagrid's life _too_, if she _can_," Diana growled.

"Just as long as he didn't import those things _illegally_ or something, she shouldn't get him in _too_ much trouble," Hermione whispered worriedly.

The group exchanged looks: unfortunately, that seemed _exactly_ like something Hagrid would do.

"Hey, Hagrid-san's gotten in trouble _before_," Marik reminded them in an attempt to make himself and the others feel better, "And Dumbledore-sensei _always_ helped him out of it…I'm sure it'll be _fine_."

His friends nodded in half-hearted agreement: all they could do was hope Marik was right.

---------

Marik headed for Charms with the Hufflepuffs while Yugi, Harry, Diana and Ron headed to Trelawney's tower for Divination.

They were shocked to learn upon arrival that Seto had decided to skive off the lesson: according to the Ravenclaw girl who passed the information on to them, Seto hadn't gone to any of his classes all day.

"This really isn't _like_ Kaiba-kun," Yugi murmured to Diana worriedly, "I wonder what's going on…"

Unfortunately they had to stop their conversation there because Trelawney had entered and addressed the class.

"I sat here this morning by my crystal ball, my children, and I gazed into its depths…and do you know what I saw gazing back at me?"

"An ugly old bat with oversized specs?" Ron muttered from the table next to Diana and Yugi's, and his friends tried to hold back snickers.

"_Death_, my dears."

Parvati and Lavender clapped their hands to their mouths in horror. Diana rolled her eyes and muttered, "_Honestly_…"

When the Gryffindor boys and Diana finally left the Divination room, Hermione and Mokuba were waiting for them, looking very pale indeed.

"Did you hear about Seto?" Hermione asked them.

"Only that he's been _absent_ most of the day," said Yugi, "What's going _on_, Mione-kun?"

Hermione bit her lip. "He got a letter this morning that Melisanne, Zi and Jun were in a car accident."

"_WHAT_?" Diana shouted.

Zi-Lin and Jun-Ling were Melisanne's younger brother and sister: Zi was eleven, and Jun was six. Diana had stayed at the Kaiba mansion two summers ago and had gotten to know the Ting siblings well as a result. Melisanne, Jun and Zi were from China and had left for Japan to find Seto and escape the control of Melisanne's mother and older sister Wang.

"Don't worry, they're fine," Mokuba assured, "Zi-kun broke his arm and Melisanne-kun got hit on the head, but they'll be okay…Seto-sama used the Floo Network to go back to Japan for a few days until they're better."

"That's good," Diana sighed in relief, "I don't want to _think_ about what would happen to _Seto_ if Melisanne got _hurt_…"

"Did they catch the guy who did it?" asked Harry.

Mokuba shot a look toward Yugi. "Yeah…and that's the _other_ problem."

"What do you mean, Mokuba-kun?" Yugi inquired.

"The guy who did it…" Mokuba whispered, looking very worried and sounding as if he was having difficulty telling Yugi the problem, "Th-the wizard authorities said he did it on _purpose_-"

"Wait a minute," Ron interrupted, his eyes narrowing, "_Wizard_ authorities?"

Mokuba nodded. "The guy had a few cheap spells with him…obviously he was a _Muggle_, but some wizard had given him those charms to do his dirty work…you know, like spells to slow down the car and such…but that's _not_ the problem."

He looked at Yugi in a type of urgent worry.

"Yugi-kun…the guy only said one thing when he was questioned…he said he was looking for his Kitty."

Ron blinked. "Wow, he really _is_ a nutcase…imagine crashing into a car on purpose just to find a _cat_…"

"_No_, Ron-kun, _not_ a _cat_," Mokuba dissented, shaking his head while still staring at Yugi fearfully, "_His Kitty_."

Yugi's eyes widened in horror.

"_Drake_."

**Yugi: (is pitch white) _DRAKE_?**

**Atem: (very white too) Oh n_o_...**

**Noa: Who's Drake?**

**Yugi and Atem: (the sound of silence)**

**Kitty: (is suddenly upset) I _hated _putting him in there...but hey...fanfiction is fanfiction.**

**Noa: Why did you hate putting him in there?**

**Kitty: (ignores Noa's question) Well...R&R, peoples! (heads off downstairs)  
**

**Noa: W-wait! _Kitty_! (runs after her trying to get an answer) _WHO'S DRAKE_?  
**


	18. Chapter 17: To Meet Again in the Kitchen

**Kitty: (ahem) Okay, all... is being screwy and was not showing reviews or even this chapter on my page, so I've decided to try exporting this into Document Manager, deleting the original chapter, and posting it again... (crosses fingers) So hopefully you all will be able to read this...  
**

**Noa: FINALLY! Now I'll know who the hell Drake is. **

**Kitty: (nods) Yeah. **

**Atem: How many times have you been asking us that?**

**Noa: (fuming) Ever since last update...and needless to say, I'm pissed off at being ignored.  
**

**Kitty: (frowning deeply) I'm sorry, Noa-kun... (hugs him) Forgive me? (puppy eyes)**

**Noa: (tries to stay angry) Ohhhh...Kitty, don't DO that! (sighs) Oh fine...I forgive you. **

**Kitty: YAAAAAAAAAAY!**

**Noa: (sighs again)**

**Yugi: (ties a small noose around his Drake plushie's neck and twirls it around in the air by the noose) R&R, people!  
**

_**Chapter Seventeen:**_

_**To Meet Again in the Kitchen**_

"_D__rake_…" whispered Yugi miserably, his face covered by his hands as he sat in a squishy red armchair in the Gryffindor common room that night, "This just…_can't_ be…not _again_…"

Both Diana and Harry put a hand on one of Yugi's shoulders.

"Yugi, who is this _Drake_?" Hermione inquired, "Why are you and Seto are so worried?"

Yugi sighed deeply and looked up. "It's a long story, Mione-kun…" 

Atem appeared next to Yugi in his spirit form. "You all remember when you met Neko-kun that one summer…didn't you wonder why Neko-kun is so reserved with people until she trusts them?"

There was a silence in which the Brits exchanged looks with each other.

"Not really," Harry said at last, "I just assumed she was _always_ like that…"

"Neko-chan _was_ like that since I've known her," assented Yugi quietly, "But there's more to it than that. I think only Melisanne-kun can really _empathize_ with Neko-chan. Melisanne-kun, Jun and Zi had to leave China because of their overbearing mother and sister…I mean, thanks to her mother, Melisanne-kun thought for the longest time that her father's death was her fault."

"And Kitty was in a similar situation?" asked Ron, "What happened?"

"A bunch of gangs settled their fights in her neighborhood, and her parents died in the crossfire," Yugi explained, "Neko-chan, not wanting to be put in an orphanage, ran away…unfortunately, the gang who had killed her parents, a gang called the Death Riders, cornered her. Neko-chan was so emotionally distraught she was _easy_ prey for their leader, Drake, to abuse. No, not _sexually_," he added quickly at the sudden fury in Diana's eyes, "It's _very_ easy to manipulate _emotions_, and it's harder to pin down words as _abuse_. He flirted with her and forced himself on her, but Neko-chan always ran away from him before he could do anything _more_. The Death Riders made her act as a decoy for the police to capture while they committed certain crimes…with that in mind, it's not _surprising_ she didn't alert the authorities. At last she fought back, but got very hurt and ran away…that's when she stumbled into the Kame game-shop and met me. Joey, Atem and I protected her from the Death Riders when they came after her. After Melisanne-kun was almost killed by them, Kaiba-kun decided to help too…in the end, we caught him and we put him in jail."

"And _now_ it seems he was able to _escape_," Atem growled, "Not only that, but a wizard seems to have given him charms to help him try to kill Melisanne-kun…to get back at Kaiba-kun, I bet."

Yugi's violet eyes were filled with fire. "I _swear_, if Drake ever so much as _thinks_ about hurting my Kitten or friends again, I will make sure the God Monsters feast on his hide in the Shadow Realm."

-----------

Seto returned to class two days later, and he was just as nervous as Yugi was. He brought his laptop everywhere he went now and kept asking for daily reports from Japan on Drake and Melisanne and Kitty's well being. It was very unnerving to see the CEO of KaibaCorp being so paranoid. Of course, it was also unnerving to see Yugi being so angry toward one person: the King of Games didn't even show as much ferocity to Voldemort in their first year as he did now to Drake.

"I'm really _worried_," Marik confessed one afternoon as he, Bakura and the Brits headed down for dinner, "I never met Drake…but if Yugi and Kaiba-kun are _this_ nervous, he's _bound_ to be trouble…"

"And if they're so determined to go _after_ him…" Hermione murmured.

No one felt like finishing her statement: they didn't want to think about Seto or Yugi getting hurt.

"Harry-kun! _Harry-kun_!"

They turned to see Mokuba running toward them.

"Mokuba?" said Harry, immediately concerned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Mokuba assured, trying to catch his breath, "But…oh _c'mon_, Harry-kun, you got to _see_!"

The younger Kaiba grabbed Harry's sleeve and pulled him into a run down the hall. Bakura and Diana exchanged a perplexed look, before they, Marik, Ron and Hermione followed them.

They entered the Great Hall and went through the door the Triwizard champions had gone through on Halloween and down a flight of stone steps into a gloomy passage with slimy walls like those found in the dungeons where Snape taught Potions class. The only difference was that these slimy walls were brightly lit with torches and decorated with cheerful paintings of food.

They stopped in front of a painting of a gigantic silver fruit bowl: Mokuba raised a hand and tickled the huge green pear in the painting with his forefinger. The pear squirmed, shrieking with laughter, and then changed into a large green door handle. Mokuba turned it and pulled the painting off the wall like a door, before he, then the others, stepped inside.

The room the painting revealed had a ceiling as high as the one in the Great Hall, the walls were heaped with mounds of brass pots and pans, and in the corner, there was a lovely brick fireplace. Diana realized this must be the Hogwarts kitchen that Fred and George had mentioned.

Suddenly Diana felt something small whiz past her and jump onto Harry, knocking the wind out of him and making him stagger backward as it glomped him tightly around his naval.

"_Harry Potter_, sir! _Harry Potter_!"

The small something turned out to be a house-elf with bat-like ears, a pencil-like nose and bright, tennis-ball-green eyes. He had on a bright red tea cozy to serve as a hat, a yellow tie patterned with horseshoes over a bare chest, a pair of green children's soccer shorts and mix-matched socks.

"D-_Dobby_?" Harry gasped.

"It _is_ Dobby, sir, it _is_!" squealed the house-elf very quickly, "Dobby had been hoping and _hoping_ to see Harry Potter and Yugi Mutou again, and Dobby was ever, _ever_ so _happy_ when kind Master Kaiba brought Yugi Mutou to see Dobby! Then, Dobby asks, he asks, _'Where is Harry Potter?' _and Master Kaiba says to Dobby, he says, _'I shall go find Harry Potter, for Harry Potter should see Dobby!'_"

Mokuba grinned sheepishly. Yugi came over, smiling slightly at the group.

"Well, it's _great_ to see you, Dobby," wheezed Harry, and Dobby finally let him go.

The house-elf then turned to look at the others, and his eyes widened at the sight of Diana.

"You is Diana Randall!" he piped excitedly, waving his hand at her to reveal a single, oversized biker glove on his long-fingered hand, "Diana Randall, who give Dobby your _glove_!"

Diana grinned at the memory and nodded. "Nice to see you again, Dobby. Is freedom suiting you?"

"Oh _yes_, Diana Randall!" replied Dobby, "Very _much_, miss! Two _years_ Dobby could not find _work_, Diana Randall, but Dobby and Winky finds work at _Hogwarts_, miss!"

"_Winky_?" repeated Hermione, "She's here _too_?" 

Yugi gestured to the fireplace sadly, and sure enough, there was Winky, sitting on a little stool near the hearth and staring sadly down at the floor. Although bizarre, Dobby's clothes were so well cared for they looked brand new: Winky's matching blouse, skirt and hat, however, were covered with burns and soup stains.

"Er…hi, Winky," greeted Harry hesitantly.

Winky looked up at the sound of his voice. Her lip quivered, before she abruptly burst into tears.

"Oh _dear_," whispered Hermione, and she tried to comfort the elf, "Winky…don't _cry_…"

But Winky only cried more. Dobby forced a smile onto his face and asked, "Would Harry Potter and his friends like some tea?"

"Uh…okay," answered Harry.

Instantly, a bunch of neatly dressed house-elves trotted up to them, carrying a large silver tray with a teapot, cups, a milk jug and biscuits.

"Good service!" Ron praised, sounding impressed: Hermione eyed him reproachfully, but the house-elves looked delighted at the compliment.

"So how long have you and Winky been here, Dobby?" Diana inquired as she grabbed a biscuit.

"Only a week, miss!" answered Dobby, "Professor Dumbledore is _most_ kind, Diana Randall! Other wizards, they is slamming door in Dobby's face because Dobby ask to be paid and to wear clothes!_'_"

"Good for you, Dobby!" Hermione smiled at him while the other house-elves looked away as if Dobby had said something disgraceful.

"Thank you, miss!" Dobby beamed at her, "Dobby visits Winky, then, and Dobby learns Winky is _also_ been freed!" Winky gave a miserable wail, "And Dobby says, _'Winky and Dobby can find good work at Hogwarts!_' And Dobby was _right_, Harry Potter, Dobby was _right_! Professor Dumbledore take Winky and Dobby on! Professor Dumbledore tells Dobby he will pay him ten Galleons a week and weekends off," the house-elf gave a shiver, "But Dobby beats him _down_, sir…Dobby _likes_ freedom, but Dobby likes _work_ too! So Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!" "I'm so happy for you," Yugi commented, indeed looking happier than he'd been in days, "I'm sure Neko-chan will be too when I tell her." 

Dobby beamed. "Dobby is honored to make Yugi Mutou and his wife happy, sir!"

"So how much are _you_ getting paid, Winky?" Hermione asked kindly.

Obviously she'd thought that this statement might cheer Winky up, but it had the exact opposite effect. Winky looked up at Hermione, her teary brown eyes narrowed in anger.

"Winky is a _disgraced_ house-elf, miss, but Winky is _not_ getting _paid_!" she squeaked, "Winky is _not_ sunk so low as _that_! Winky is properly _ashamed_ of being freed!"

"_Ashamed_?" Hermione recurred blankly, "Winky, it's _Mr. Crouch_ who should be ashamed, not _you_! You didn't do anything _wrong_, and he was really _horrible_ to you-"

At this, Winky clapped her hands over her large ears and talked loudly over her. "You is _not_ talking bad about my _master_, miss! You is _not_ insulting _Mr. Crouch_! Mr. Crouch is a _good_ wizard! Mr. Crouch was _right_ to sack poor Winky!"

"Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore, Harry Potter," Dobby explained under his breath to Harry, "Winky free to speak her _mind_ now that she been freed, but she _won't_."

"_Oh_ my poor master, he _needs_ his Winky!" moaned Winky, again falling to the floor and crying, "How is _poor_ Mr. Crouch _doing_ without his Winky? Winky is looking after the Crouches all her _life_, and Winky's mother _before_ her, and Winky's _mother's_ mother and Winky's mother's _mother's_ mother…oh, what would they be _saying_ if they knows Winky was _freed_?"

"I is buying a _sweater_ next!" Dobby spoke over Winky's whining, pointing to his bare chest.

"Tell you what, Dobby," said Ron, who had seemed to be taking a bit of liking to the elf, "My mum knits us all sweaters for Christmas…maybe I'll write to her and she can make one for you."

Dobby looked overjoyed. "Thank you so very _much_, sir!"

The house-elves gave them a big bundle of sweets for their departure (Hermione bluntly refused to eat any of it) and crowded around the door to wave and yell goodbye.

"Master Kaiba will bring Harry Potter and Yugi Mutou again?" Dobby asked Mokuba tentatively.

"Of course," Mokuba replied humanely, and Dobby gave a wide smile.

"And you can come and visit us sometimes, if you want," Yugi added, "We'd be glad to see you."

"Dobby will, Yugi Mutou, Dobby will!" the house-elf squeaked happily as the painting closed.

"You know what, little Pharaoh?" Bakura muttered with a smirk, "You were right, Dobby _is_ weird…but I think he's kinda cool for a house-elf."

Diana smiled and nodded in agreement. "A little weirdness never hurt anyone."

"I think he's the _best_ thing that could've _happened_ to those elves," Hermione stated, "Maybe _now_ they'll see freedom _can_ be a good thing."

Marik shook his head. "Iie…to do _that_, they'd have to ignore Winky _entirely_."

-----------

"_Bakura_! _Randall_!"

Diana and the Tomb Robber jumped and looked up as the sound of McGonagall's voice cracking like a whip through their fun. They had been having a swordfight with two licorice wands to hold back the boredom induced at the realization there were only a few minutes left of class, and the class turned around and laughed at their antics. Since her friend was still facing forward in the surprise of being yelled at, Diana took the opportunity to lean over and snatch his licorice wand in her teeth and out of his hand.

"_Hey_!" growled Bakura.

Diana bit off the end and took it out of her mouth, smirking at him like the Cheshire cat and pointing her own licorice wand at his heart like a knight pointing his sword at his opponent.

"_Touché_."

"Cheater."

"_Ahem_," McGonagall snapped, "If you two would _please_ act your age and pay _attention_!"

_/Then what? You'd be proud of me for doing such an impossible feat?.../_ Diana thought to herself, but instead murmured, "Yes, professor," and moved so that she was facing front again.

McGonagall eyed her sternly, before addressing the class again.

"The Yule Ball, a _traditional_ part of the Triwizard Tournament, is coming up very soon. Students younger than 14 must ask a parent or legal guardian for written permission. Dress robes shall be worn, and the ball will go from 8:00 to midnight on Christmas in the Great Hall. Please know, however, that while the Yule Ball is for _frivolity_, you _are_ setting an _example_ as students from the host school. Hogwarts has _commanded_ respect as a wizard school for centuries, and we will _not_ be relaxing our _normal_ standards of behavior for this event. With _that_ in mind, you should know that _punishment_ will greet you should you choose to act like a babbling, bumbling bunch of brainless baboons," Diana noticed she eyed her and Bakura in particular as she said the last part.

The bell rang, and the class stood up to leave: McGonagall called, "_Potter_! A word, if you please."

Diana looked at Harry curiously, and he shrugged.

"You go on ahead," he told her when she looked ready to wait for him, "I'll catch up."

Diana smiled at him before swinging her bag over her shoulder and leaving with Bakura.

-----------

"So…the Yule Ball, huh?" said Mokuba as he sat down next to the Brits and Bakura at the Gryffindor table, sounding disappointed, "I wish _I_ could go…"

"At least you don't _have_ to go," Harry scowled, "Or _dance_…I _still_ can't believe the champions have to dance in front of _everyone_…"

"_I_ wouldn't mind having to dance," Mokuba complained, putting his head on the table sullenly, "I've had to dance at some of Seto-sama's functions and stuff…I think it's kinda _fun_."

"I'm sure Seto would let you go," Hermione tried to consol him, patting his shoulder.

"Are you kidding? Seto-sama would _never_ let me," Mokuba muttered, "I'll have to do puppy-dog eyes on him…or maybe _Seth-kun_ will help me convince him."

Bakura chuckled. "By the way, where _is_ that High Priest? Where are the Pharaoh and the Grave Keeper too, now that I think about it?"

Right on time, Seto, Marik and Yugi entered the Great Hall and sat down with the others.

"Where have you been?" inquired Diana.

"Dumbledore-sensei's office," they answered in unison, before grinning amusedly at each other.

"Since Marik-kun and I are _married_ and Kaiba-kun has a _girlfriend_, we reasoned we were going to have a problem if we wanted to go to the Yule Ball," explained Yugi, "So we decided to go up to see Dumbledore-sama and ask him if we had to get dates."

"He said that he had already discussed it with Karkaroff and Maxime," continued Marik, "And they agreed to allow Kara-chan be one of the acts to perform at the Yule Ball, so Neko-kun, Melisanne-kun and Kara-chan can come to Hogwarts and be our dates!"

"Wow, that's _awesome_!" said Hermione excitedly.

"It'll be great to see them," agreed Diana.

Seto, Marik and Yugi nodded eagerly.

"Um…Seto-sama?" Mokuba spoke to his brother hesitantly, "_Speaking_ of the Yule Ball, can I…?"

"No," Seto answered before he could finish.

"_Please_, Seto-sama?" whined Mokuba, "I'll go to bed before _10_, I _promise_!"

"No."

"_Please_?"

"_No_."

"_Please_?"

"_No_!"

"_Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease_?"

Mokuba put on puppy-dog eyes. Seto stared at him for a few minutes, before sighing deeply and growling, "Oh _fine_…but you _have_ to be in bed by 10."

"_YAY_!" cheered Mokuba, glomping his older brother, "Arigato, Seto-sama!"

Seto grumbled a little under his breath.

Hermione took out her schedule. "I have a break next…and you all have Divination, right?"

Ron's mouth fell open. "Oh _shit_! I forgot to finish the homework! Dare, can I borrow your book?"

"Sure," Diana replied, reaching around for her Divination book in her bag, "Huh, that's weird…I can't find it…I know I packed it in here…"

"Maybe _this_ is why," Bakura pointed out, putting his hand through a large hole in the bottom of one of her bag's sections to draw attention to it.

Diana's mouth fell open too, not of shock, but of anger. "_Damn it_!"

"Maybe it's in the Transfiguration room," suggested Harry.

Diana sighed grudgingly. "I better go find it…see you in a sec."

She stood up, tossed her bag over her shoulder and ran as fast as she could out the Hall and upstairs to McGonagall's room.

Diana opened the door to find McGonagall wasn't there. She headed toward her desk, to notice a handsome boy with light brown hair and gray eyes sitting in her seat and writing something.

"Oh…hey, Cedric," she greeted.

Cedric looked up in surprise. "_Oh_! Hey, Dare. W-what are you doing here?"

"I think I left my Divination book in here," Diana admitted sheepishly, before noticing her purple-covered book on the floor near Cedric's left foot, "Oh…there it is."

Diana reached for it to find another hand picking it up.

Cedric straightened up and handed the book to her. "Here."

"Uh…thanks."

Diana took it from him. Their fingers touched for just a second, but she felt an odd shot of electricity flood her at the contact. Ignoring it, she put the book in her bag and smiled slightly at Cedric.

"So…what are _you_ doing here?"

"Finishing up some lines for detention," Cedric answered, sounding as sheepish as she had, gesturing to the piece of parchment with lines of _"I will not insult my professors,"_ on his desk.

Diana looked at Cedric in surprise. "You insulted _McGonagall_?"

"Not _her_," Cedric muttered embarrassedly, "I was talking about _Snape,_ and McGonagall heard me…it was lucky _she_ heard me and not _him_."

"What did you say about Snape?"

"I said he was a slimy bastard who needs to wash his hair."

Diana laughed. "That's not an _insult_, that's the _truth_. Well, I got to go…see you later!"

"Bye," replied Cedric.

Artemis's Heir headed out the door back toward the Great Hall with a vague smile on her face.

"Hey! _Dare_!"

Diana looked back at Cedric, who had gathered up his bag and had joined her in the doorway.

"Will you go to the ball with me?" he asked quickly.

Diana didn't know what she had expected him to say, but the word "Yeah," seemed to just fall from her lips without checking with her brain for any arguments.

"Great," Cedric sounded relieved, "Well, I better go…see you there!"

He headed off up a staircase and out of sight.

Diana was frozen where she stood, dumbfounded. Her mind was blurry and vague as if she were in the middle of a strange dream.

_/Cedric Diggory did not just ask me to the Yule Ball/_ she thought blankly, _/Cedric Diggory did not just ask me…and I most certainly did NOT say yes…as if I would…/_

Her eyes widened, and she paled considerably.

_/Cedric Diggory asked me to the Yule Ball and I said yes…/_

"Oh _Merlin_," Diana murmured fearfully, "What the hell did I just _do_?"

**Kitty: End!**

**Bakura: ...  
**

**Ryou: Uh...Yami-san? **

**Bakura: (grabs Kitty's Cedric plushie and strangles it)**

**Cedric: (choking in the background on the floor) **

**Kitty: HEY! GIVE THAT BACK! (tries to take it from Bakura) GIMME CEDRIC!**

**Bakura: (heads off toward the door, seething) Get off me, bitch! I need to burn it-**

**Kitty: (fuming) OSUWARI!**

**Bakura: (slams into the floor face-first like Inuyasha)**

**Kitty: (snatches her Cedric plushie back) HUMPH!**

**Cedric: (breaths hard, glad having oxygen again) Ahhhh...thank Merlin... (to audience) R&R!  
**


	19. Chapter 18: Unexpected Dates

**Kitty: _Mark has got his work: they say 'Mark lives for his work,' and 'Mark's in love with his work!' Mark hides in his work! _(ahem) Hey, all!**

**Yugi: Kitty gets a day off for election day...**

**Kitty: And we've been getting calls from every Democrat running through every primary of every office. (dies)**

**Bakura: (fuming in the corner)**

**Diana: Um...Bakura-kun?**

**Bakura: (doesn't look at her)**

**Diana: Bakura-kun? Are you okay?**

**Bakura: (obviously angry) Fine! Just fine. How's pretty-boy Cedric?**

**Diana: (question mark over head) Um...fine?**

**Bakura: HUMPH! (crawls underneath Kitty's desk and turns away)**

**Diana: (looks at Kitty quizically) **

**Kitty: (sighs) R&R, all!**

_**Chapter Eighteen:**_

_**Unexpected Dates**_

_****_

"_M__IONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_!"

Hermione looked up from her reading in shock as Diana ran into the girls' dorm, looking frazzled and horrified at the same time.

'_Hey, Dare's supposed to be in Divination…what's going on?'_

"Dare, what…what _happened_?" the bookworm asked as Diana dropped her bag, paced around the room and then collapsed on her bed face-first.

"I just did the stupidest thing _ever_, _that's_ what!" Diana moaned into her pillow.

Hermione dropped her book and climbed down from her bunk above Diana's to sit next to her. "Stupidest thing? What are you talking about?"

"He just sort of…_flung_ it out randomly, like it was _nothing_!" Diana babbled, "How the hell could he have been so _casual_ about it? It was just a _normal_ conversation, and he runs after me and _asks_ me like we've been dating for _years_…oh _Merlin_, I'm such an _idiot_!"

Hermione put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Dare, you're not making any _sense_. Just _calm down_…and tell me what happened."

Diana looked up at Hermione, still looking very frazzled, but nonetheless took a deep breath and told her what had happened. When she had finished, Hermione looked surprised.

"_Cedric_ asked you to the Ball?" she recurred, "I thought he was dating _Cho_."

Artemis's Heir hadn't thought about it at the time, but at the remembrance of Cedric and Cho's relationship, she felt a flash of anger.

"Oh _great_," she growled, holding her head in her hand, "Cedric's using me to _cheat_ on Cho Chang."

"Maybe not," Hermione stated thoughtfully, "Cedric doesn't seem the type to _cheat_…and you've _seen_ those two together, Dare, Cedric always looked _miserable_ around her. Maybe they broke up."

"And he immediately ran after _Wrong-Sex Randall_ to celebrate his _freedom_," Diana hissed.

Hermione frowned. "Dare, _don't_ make _assumptions_…I'm _sure_ there's a logical explanation-"

"Don't kid yourself, Mione," Diana muttered, glaring at the wall, "I know very well that I'm not _pretty_, and that no one would want me. It's the way I've always _been_ and always _will_ be."

"Don't be ridiculous," reproached Hermione, "Just because you're not _pretty_ doesn't mean boys wouldn't want to _date_ you."

"What _else_ do boys look at in girls?" Diana scorned darkly, "The only thing they care about more than _looks_ is their _stomachs_."

"Yugi, Seto and Marik contradict that statement."

"Yugi, Seto and Marik contradict _most_ of life's normality, as _most_ people can't say they've dueled with the world at stake."

"And is _Harry_ like that? Or _Bakura_?"

"You're talking about our _friends_," Diana answered coldly, "We all know none of _them_ would like me like that, and besides…I bet sometimes they even _forget_ that I'm a girl. I know _I've_ wished I was a boy more than _once_."

"And _why_ do you wish to be something you supposedly _hate_ so much?" Hermione asked.

Diana stood, walked over toward the long mirror and crossed her arms.

"So people won't automatically assume I'm something they can take _advantage_ of," she murmured.

Hermione's anger faded as the redhead studied her reflection in the mirror.

"Mione, have you ever grown up believing a lie?" Diana whispered, her eyes not leaving the mirror, "It _hurts_, being wrong…the lie makes a wound that shapes your life…and then you learn it's a lie…and even after you've _accepted_ it as a lie, you still see the wound when you look in the mirror…even though you _know_ it was a lie, the wound still bleeds freely."

She turned around to look at the bookworm still sitting on her bed.

"I grew up with the lie that my father left my mother to die at the hands of Voldemort…even though I've learned _since_ that it was a lie, and that my dad was _kept_ from me…my whole _life_ was built up around this lie. I always wondered, when I heard people talk about my mother, what went wrong… _'You look just like Carly,'_ they used to say, _'You'll probably grow up to be just as gifted and clever as Carly…' _And I used to wonder…if she was so _clever_…if she was so _gifted_…how was my father able to _deceive_ her? How was my father able to trick her into believing he loved her enough to let her become _pregnant_ with me? Why did my mother fall in love with such an _awful_ person? _Why_ did my father deceive her? Was it because he thought she was _weak_? After all, _no_ _one_ would deceive someone if they didn't think they could get _away_ with it. But why did he think she was weak…?"

Diana closed her eyes.

"Because she was a beautiful woman, I decided he had thought. She was smart, powerful, rich and rebellious…but she was _also_ a beautiful woman, so she must have _some_ kind of weakness where her _heart_ was concerned. After all, in _most_ wars, it wasn't _women_ who went off to war…they didn't want to _fight_ and _kill_, because they were _'weak.'_ It wasn't _women_ who decided to cheat other deserving workers out of money to get to the top of the heap at a corporation, because they were _weak_. It wasn't _women_ who started a brawl after being _teased_, because they were _weak_. It wasn't _women_ who survived at the end of a battle…_because they were_ _weak_."

When her eyes opened again, they were filled with fire.

"I _won't_ be like my mum, I decided: I _won't_ be weak. I _won't_ let people think they can take advantage of my feelings. I _won't_ let people see me as a pretty face with no importance. I decided…the only way I could keep people from looking _down_ on me as a woman…would be that I _not_ be a woman."

There was a silence. Even though Diana's voice had been firm, Hermione could see a slight trace of tears around the fire in her friend's sky-blue eyes.

At last Hermione spoke softly,

"Dare, I _know_ you don't want to be called _weak_…but women _aren't_ weak. _You're_ a prime example, and so are Kitty and Kara and Melisanne. They've had tough lives, but they fought back and became _stronger_…and they found _love_ too. You _can_ be a girl…_and_ pretty _and_ in love…and still be _strong_. _That's_ why I really think you should use this Yule Ball to your advantage."

"My _advantage_?" repeated Diana, raising an eyebrow suspiciously, "What are you thinking, Mione?"

Hermione took a deep breath and answered, "You're afraid to look pretty because people will _judge_ you…the Ball could help you face your fear."

"You think I should really dress up for this thing," Diana murmured.

"Yes," Hermione replied firmly.

Diana eyed Hermione for a few minutes beadily, before growling, "No."

"Come _on_, Dare!" contended Hermione, "Think about _Cedric_ too here! He's a school _champion_, and people will judge him by _you_!"

"_Great_, as if judgments of just being a _girl_ weren't bad _enough_," Diana muttered derisively.

"Dare, if _I'm_ going to dress up to be _Viktor Krum's_ date, then _damn_ it all, I'm going to make _you_ do the _same_!" snapped Hermione.

Diana was surprised at Hermione cursing: then her words hit her.

"You're going with Viktor Krum?"

Hermione flushed. "Well…_yeah_…h-he asked me on my way up here…he'd been going to the library every day to ask me…but he only just _now_ plucked up the _courage_…" she went even redder, "_Please_ don't tell anyone! I know Ron and Harry would tease me _mercilessly_."

Diana studied her for a moment, and then sighed in aggravation.

"Oh _alright_…I'll dress up…but _only_ for you and Cedric! And you _better_ not try and put me in _pink frills_ or something!"

"_Aw_, but pink frills would look so _good_ on you!" Hermione teased.

Diana punched her in the arm, smirking. "Don't even _kid_ like that, Mione: you're scaring me."

Hermione laughed. "Don't worry, you know _I_ hate frills too…now c'mon…lets go look at some dress robe ideas…I saw _your_ dress robes, and they won't work for what _we_ have planned."

Diana thought of her boy-style red dress robes, and sighed reluctantly. They really were a bit too plain if they were going to make her look like a girl.

"Why do I have a bad feeling you'll have enough blackmail to make me do your homework for the next two _years_ after this?"

----------

Ryou sat in the library trying to work on his Potions essay on Veritaserum, but the giggling of the girls at the table next to him was bugging him so much that he couldn't concentrate.

_/Probably giggling about the Yule Ball/_ Ryou thought scathingly, _/Really…as if those girls didn't have anything to giggle about before…/_

_-You're just being bitter because you know no one will want to go with you-_ Bakura told him, almost not understanding how unkind his statement was.

_/Shut up/_ Ryou snapped.

But Ryou couldn't hide the hurt he felt at his Yami's words. He had always been a kind yet shy person, but when Bakura entered his life, he had lost all of his friends because Bakura used to always take control of him to complete his evil ends. After everything Bakura had done, Ryou feared being alone even more than before, for that would mean no one could stop Bakura if he took over his body again and hurt someone. Yet, despite all of this, Ryou couldn't hate Bakura. He was _bitter_ toward him, but he could never _hate_ him…after all, he was Bakura's reincarnation, so, Ryou reasoned, Bakura must've lost everything in _his_ life too. That, and ever since he had met Diana, the Tomb Robber's icy heart had melted slightly and he hadn't been as insistent to gather the Millennium Items and take over the world.

"Konnichiwa Ryou-kun!"

Ryou fazed out of his thoughts and looked up.

"Oh, ano…konnichiwa, Mokuba-kun."

Mokuba sat across from Ryou and opened the book he'd been carrying under his arm on the table. "Work for Snape, I guess?"

"Hai," the albino answered, "Snape-sensei _does_ give a lot of work…"

Mokuba nodded. "Slimy bastard teachers _do_ tend to do that."

"Your brother won't like you cursing so casually," Ryou warned pleasantly.

The younger Kaiba stuck his tongue out. "He's _really_ not one to lecture me about _cursing_…it wasn't _me_ who cussed out a woman because she joined KaibaCorp just to ask for Seto-sama's autograph."

Ryou chuckled.

"I got a date for the Yule Ball," Mokuba informed. It seemed as though he'd be waiting to tell someone this and was finally glad to be able to divulge it.

"Oh," said Ryou, trying to sound happy for Mokuba's sake, but feeling upset at the Yule Ball being brought up again, "That's great. Who?"

"Gabrielle-chan," replied Mokuba, blushing slightly.

Ryou forced a smile. "I'm sure you'll have lots of fun."

This time Mokuba noticed the vaguely sad look in Ryou's eyes as he looked back down at his book.

"Are you _alright_, Ryou-kun?"

"Nani?" Ryou had been in his own thoughts again, "Oh…hai."

Mokuba wasn't convinced. "Have you asked someone yet?"

Ryou shook his head. "Iie…but it's no big deal, Mokuba-kun…I've never really been that much of a _party_ person."

"As in you don't _like_ them or you haven't _been_ to any?" persisted Mokuba.

Ryou didn't answer, so he continued, "I think you'd have fun…Kara-kun's going to be performing…and me, Seto-sama and everyone will be there-"

"Mokuba-kun, I don't know if you've noticed," Ryou cut in softly, "But I've never been a very _social_ person, and unlike you, it's _very_ difficult for me to ask someone I've never _met_ before to accompany me to a _dance_."

"Tell you what," Mokuba stated bracingly, "I've got a friend who doesn't really get to go to dances either…I'll ask her if she'd like to go with you. Think about it: you both _want_ to go to the Yule Ball, but you both need a _date_, so it works out fine."

"Who is this friend of yours that wouldn't have gotten a _date_ already, Mokuba-kun?" Ryou asked in a type of dull suspicion.

"Her name's Luna Lovegood," Mokuba replied, "Have you heard of her?"

"Iie."

"Well, some people think she's really _eccentric_, and _that's_ why nobody's asked her. Her dad owns a weird magazine called _The Quibbler_, so I guess _that's_ where she gets it. I think _you'd_ like her, though…she's in Ravenclaw, one year ahead of me…and she's _really_ smart when she's not being _loony_…she's an abstract thinker, see."

"Abstract as in…?" inquired Ryou.

"As in believing in ridiculous creatures that no one but she and the people who read _the Quibbler_ believe in," Mokuba explained, "She can go on and on about things like the Crumple-Horned Snorkak and the Wankspurt and Kami-sama _knows_ what else-"

"It doesn't sound that ridiculous to _me_," commented Ryou, "After all, tons of people would call the whole magical _world_ ridiculous too."

Mokuba shrugged. "That's why I think you'd like her, Ryou-kun. You're ready to listen to peoples' ideas more than most people…I mean, when Seto-sama and I first heard about Yugi-kun's and your Yamis, we immediately _doubted_ you…but you don't make quick judgments when it comes to ideas."

Ryou gave a slight smile. "Well…I guess I could go with your friend. Like you said, _she_ wants to go and we both need _dates_, so…why not?"

"Arigato, Ryou-kun!" chirped Mokuba.

----------

Weeks went by, and in that time, Hermione helped Diana prepare for the Yule Ball. They had decided not to tell their boy friends about their plan or about their dates, thinking that they would only get in the way, as boys sometimes tend to do in girl affairs. A short while after the two had started their project, Ginny overheard them talking about it and, sounding eager to get Diana into a dress, the youngest Weasley immediately offered to help.

They had only just finished sending an order form for Diana's new dress robes with Aries a few days before the Ball when a horrified-looking Ron weakly entered the Gryffindor common room, supported by Yugi and Harry.

"_Ron_?" said Hermione in concern, getting up from the floor and going over to him as he collapsed in a Gryffindor armchair, "Ron, are you _okay_?"

Ron shook his head.

"Why did I _do_ it?" he whispered wildly, a lot like how Diana had acted after Cedric had asked her to the Yule Ball, "I don't know what made me _do_ it!"

"Do _what_?" inquired Diana.

Yugi frowned. "He just asked Fleur Delacour to the Yule Ball."

"_What_?"

"I don't know what made me _do_ it!" repeated Ron frantically, "She was just…talking to Diggory all nice and I went up to her…and I _asked_ her!"

"And she said no?" supposed Hermione in concern.

Ron didn't answer.

"She said _yes_?" Hermione gasped, sounding if possible even more horrified.

"Of _course_ not!" Ron answered miserably.

"Then what happened?" asked Ginny.

"I ran for it," moaned Ron, "What _else_ could I do? She just kinda stared at me like I was a _slug_ or something…then I got my sense back and ran."

Ginny patted her brother's shoulder, while trying hard not to laugh.

"She's part veela, Ron, that's why," Harry told him, "Her grandmother was one. She said her wand had one of her hairs in it during the Weighing of the Wands. She was probably putting her charm on for Cedric and _you_ got the blast of it…she was wasting her time, though, since Cedric's going out with _Cho_," he added dully.

Diana felt her insides squirm uncomfortably. Seeing her discomfort, Hermione changed the subject.

"So neither of you have dates? Now _really_, you two, you've had _weeks_…and the Yule Ball is in _three_ _days_!"

Ron wasn't paying attention to Hermione's concern, however: he merely stared at her as if seeing her in a new light.

"Mione…you know, you and Dare _are_ girls…"

Diana snorted. "Congratulations, Captain Obvious…the long hair and breasts couldn't _possibly_ have given that away."

Ron blushed furiously. "Well, I'm not _looking_ at your _chests_!"

"You do with every _other_ girl, apparently," Diana replied harshly, "Judging by the girl you asked to the Yule Ball."

Ron ignored her. "Look…all I'm saying is that you can go with Harry and Mione can go with me!"

"No, we can't," dissented Hermione.

"_C'mon_ Mione, we both need _dates_-"

"I know," she cut in, "But I'm already going with someone, as is Dare."

"Who?" demanded Ron.

"Someone who figured out I was a girl before _now_, obviously," Hermione snapped impatiently as she stood up again, "C'mon Dare, let's go…"

Diana sighed, shrugged and followed Hermione and Ginny up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

"She's lying," muttered Ron, "She's just upset no one's _asked_ her…too proud to let _me_ take her."

"With those _robes_, who could _blame_ her?" Harry noted, and Ron glared.

"And Dare-kun?" asked Yugi, "I'm surprised she's even _going_…she _hates_ dressing up…"

Harry shrugged. "Girls are an alien race apart from our own: we shouldn't even _try_ to understand how their minds work."

**Diana, Hermione and Ginny: (glare at Harry)**

**Harry: (sweatdrop) Oh c'mon, I didn't mean it!**

**Ginny: (crosses her arms and walks away)**

**Harry: H-hey! Ginny! Ginny, come back! (runs after her)**

**Ryou: Hmmm...I wonder how Luna and I will get along.**

**Kitty: (squees) I love Luna: she rox much. **

**Ron: You probably like her just because she's completely nutters just like you.**

**Hermione: RON! (whacks him on the head)**

**Ron: OW! What?**

**Yugi: Don't call my Neko-chan a nutter!**

**Kitty: Now, now, Yugi-chan...you know very well I am not ashamed of my insanity.**

**Yugi: (pouts) But Ron-kun said it like it was a bad thing, Kitten...**

**Kitty: (kisses his forehead) It's okay, dear...he just doesn't understand the wonders of insanity is all.**

**Ron: (sweatdrop) R&R, all!  
**


	20. Chapter 19: Dressing and Showing Up

**Hermione: (waves) Hi, everyone! Kitty's finishing up some homework downstairs, so she told me to post this for her...  
**

**Ron: (comes over awkwardly) Um...Mione?**

**Hermione: Yeah? What, Ron?**

**Ron: (takes a three layer birthday cake out from behind his back) Happy birthday...Mione...**

**Hermione: (surprised) Ron! Did you make that...for me?**

**Ron: (blushing) Yeah...I hope you like it...**

**Hermione: Oh Ron, it's wonderful! Thank you so much! (puts the cake down and kisses his cheek)**

**Ron: (goes even redder) Y-y-you...me...k-k-k... (faints)  
**

**Kitty: ARRR, ME MATIES! (waves a fake sword around) TODAY, SEPTEMBER THE 19TH, BE INTERNATIONAL TALK-LIKE-A-PIRATE DAY!**

**Hermione: Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day? But today's-**

**Kitty: ARRR, so R&R, you scurvy landlubber dogs!**

* * *

_**Chapter Nineteen:**_

_**Dressing and Showing Up**_

Diana wrung the envelope from Sirius's latest letter in her sweaty hands as Ginny and Hermione worked on a few last touches on her look for the Yule Ball. She didn't want to think about Cedric, his reasons for asking her to the Yule Ball or his reaction when he saw her, so she forced herself to think about Sirius's letter. Harry had received it earlier that Christmas morning after he was lucky enough to learn the Patil twins had yet to get dates and asked them to go with him and Ron.

The redhead's eyes had flashed red that morning, meaning Artemis was to come out that night, but Diana forced herself to go on with the plan for the Yule Ball anyway. If she was just extra careful to restrain Artemis and she left early, it'd be fine. Besides, she had to go, not only for Hermione's and her decision, but also for Cedric: she couldn't just leave him stranded without a date at the Ball, or he'd be humiliated as the only champion without a date.

Her two female friends had already finished their looks for the Yule Ball. The youngest Weasley was wearing sleeveless pale yellow dress robes with red flowers decorating the top and along the hem of the skirt, and some of the hair closest to her face was tied back in a yellow bow. The practically dressed bookworm was now in periwinkle blue dress robes with silk sleeves off her shoulders and her bushy hair was magically straightened and styled into an elegant bun.

Diana closed her eyes and Harry reading his godfather's words echoed through her head once more:

* * *

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**Congratulations on getting past the Horntail: whoever put your name in that Goblet shouldn't be too happy right now! I would've suggested a Conjunctivitis Curse (Seto said that's what that Durmstrang champion tried, didn't he?), as a dragon's eyes is its weakest point, but your way was better, I'm very impressed. Don't become complacent though, Harry. As Dare and Mione were saying to you, you've still got two tasks left, and those tasks have plenty of possible ways for that same person to hurt you. Keep your eyes open, particularly when that person Dare, you and I discussed is around, and stay out of trouble. **_

**_Sirius_**

* * *

"Okay, Dare," Ginny told her, sounding excited, "You're all done!" 

Diana swallowed and opened her eyes.

It felt like the bottom had just fallen out of her stomach when she saw her reflection.

She already had known she was dressed in pearl-white dress robes with feathery sleeves on her shoulders, but the difference after making up her face and hair alone was enough to shock anyone out of their wits. Her auburn hair was down, but now cascaded in gentle curls around her face, and nestled beautifully in the curls on the top of her head was a silver intricately designed tiara. Her face was as pale as ever, but with the right amount of blush, gold eye shadow and shiny pink lipstick, it looked natural instead of its normal stark.

Diana at first couldn't do anything but stare. Finally she whispered, "Oh _Merlin_, am I in for it."

Ginny punched the air triumphantly. "_Victory_!"

"You look so _beautiful_, Dare," Hermione stated, gripping her friend's shoulder and smiling.

"If you say so, Mione," Diana muttered weakly, looking down so her friend wouldn't see her eyes flash red, "I just hope my look doesn't translate to boys as _'Rape me, I'm a Gryffindor whore.'_"

"_Dare_," Hermione reproached, "No one will think you're a _whore_, you know _that_."

"Do I?"

"_Dare_!"

"_What_?"

After a pep talk with Ginny and Hermione, Diana finally pulled on her pair of fingerless white gloves and followed them down the stairs, through the entrance hall and into the Great Hall, gorgeously decorated for Christmas. The walls were covered in silver icicles, the enchanted ceiling showed a beautiful display of falling snow, garlands of mistletoe and holly hung around the doorways and many small candle-lit tables replaced the long House ones.

As Diana, Hermione and Ginny walked in, groups of people turned to look at them and mutter amongst themselves. Diana fought back a flinch at so many eyes going over her.

"_Mione_…people are _staring_ at us…"

"Likely surprised to see you in a dress," Hermione assured her, "Go on and find Cedric…I have to find Viktor."

As she hesitantly left Hermione's side and looked around anxiously for the Hufflepuff champion, Diana couldn't help but catch snippets of the staring people's conversations.

"I've never seen _her_ before…"

"You think she's a Beauxbatons student?"

"She's _hot_!"

Diana fought not to make eye contact with anyone.

_/You idiot! Why did you ever agree to this? Stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID! You knew this would happen…what could make this shit worth it, huh? Tell me that, stupid!.../_

* * *

Ryou, dressed in gold-trimmed silver dress robes over white pants, sighed tiredly as he waited by the door for the date Mokuba had arranged for him. 

_/It would've helped if I'd asked Mokuba-kun what the hell Luna Lovegood looked like! After dressing up and everything, I won't even have a date…/_

_-Good!-_ snapped Bakura, _-You can let me take over and find Dare-chan! Where is she, anyway?-_

Ryou rolled his eyes_. /Leave Dare-kun alone, Yami-san…she deserves to have a night to herself/_

_-I'm her best friend!-_ Bakura growled, _-I can't believe she wouldn't tell me who her date is!-_

_/Maybe because you wouldn't stop harassing her if you knew/_ Ryou retorted, _/Just because you can't ask her yourself doesn't mean you can stop others from asking her/_

There was a silence, before Bakura shut the mind-link abruptly. Ryou bit his lip, suddenly realizing how hurtful his comment had been…he hadn't _meant_ to be hurtful: he just wanted to tell Bakura he couldn't keep Diana from doing things she wanted to do.

Ryou felt a hand tap his shoulder and turned to see a girl with wide blue eyes and long, curly blond hair and wearing lilac dress robes, a string of Christmas lights around her neck and bauble earrings.

"You're Ryou Bakura," she stated in a calm sort of abruptness.

Ryou nodded. "Are you Luna Lovegood?"

The girl nodded in return. "Mokuba needs to work on his matchmaking. He's lucky that I already knew who you _were_: otherwise we'd have wasted our time coming here."

Ryou smiled. Mokuba had been right; she _did_ seem a bit strange, but she seemed amiable enough.

"You have a point…but hey, Mokuba-kun's only _twelve_, and he grew up with an older brother who even _now_ has problems with romance."

"I've found _anyone_ too involved in their business has problems with the _heart_," Luna agreed, "Why, only just _yesterday_, my dad published an article about Mr. Crouch…you know, the sick Head of International Magical Cooperation…and his after-office lessons on compassion."

Ryou blinked. "Lessons…on _compassion_?"

"Oh _yes_," Luna replied seriously, "It's been confirmed that Mr. Crouch has been taking lessons with Ludo Bagman to improve his _image_…they've been using the house-elves the Ministry uses to write jingles for wizard advertisements as judges of Crouch's budding sociability."

Ryou didn't believe Luna's statement was true, but he chuckled and answered, "I don't think _those_ lessons are going well…Crouch the Grouch needs _major_ help if he wants to be _social_."

Luna howled with laughter like a hyena. "Crouch…the _Grouch_? Did _you_ come up with that?"

"Iie…I mean, no," Ryou corrected himself, not used to speaking to people who didn't know some Japanese, "My friend Ron-kun's sister Ginny did…it seems to have stuck with me."

Luna finally stopped laughing and grinned. "Ginny's very nice: she's one of the only other people who has ever talked to me."

"Well, I can't say I don't know _why_ some people don't talk to you," Ryou told her honestly but gently, "But those people are bakas…idiots. _They're_ trying to pretend the whole world is just as boring as they _themselves_ are."

Luna's grin broadened. "That's a nice thing to say, Ryou."

Ryou grinned back and took her hand. "You're a nice _person_, Yue-chan."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Are you _flirting_ with me?"

Ryou blinked, his cheeks going pink. "A-ano…I mean…"

"You don't do it much," Luna pointed out, "But you're pretty good at it. You don't lay it on _thick_ like _most_ guys do: your compliments are _polite_, not _rehearsed_…it's rather _refreshing_, actually. But I have to ask…Yue-chan?"

The albino scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "_'Yue' _is Japanese for _'moon,'_ and your name means _'moon,'_ in _Latin_, so…"

Luna thought this over, before smiling. "That's pretty _smart_…why weren't you put in _Ravenclaw_?"

Ryou shrugged. "Because no matter _how_ smart I might be, I'm so fucked up thanks to my Yami only _Hufflepuff_ would accept me."

* * *

Diana looked up and, to her relief, saw Cedric, wearing dress robes of deepest gold over a pair of shiny black pants, talking with one of the Hufflepuff Chasers by a long table filled with food. 

_/He looks good/_ Diana thought with a smile, before stamping on the thought furiously, _/Don't go thinking like that, you idiot! Just go up to him…and try not to notice when he's staring at you/_

Artemis's Heir went over and, ignoring the Chaser's mouth dropping open at the sight of her, tapped the Hufflepuff champion gently on the shoulder. Cedric turned around, and his gray eyes widened.

Diana looked down at her silver-sandaled feet. "Uh…hey."

Cedric gave her a hug: then, to Diana's surprise, he picked her up and twirled her around. She laughed as he put her back down on the floor and grinned broadly.

"What _are_ we, acrobats in a _circus_?" she teased.

Cedric chuckled. "Nah…just happy to see you…you look wonderful," he added bashfully.

Diana smiled shyly. "Mione and Ginny helped…I couldn't have looked like _this_ of my own _accord_."

"I pass on my regards to them, then," Cedric commented good-naturedly.

"Champions over _here_, please!" McGonagall called from the staff table set up in the back of the Hall.

Cedric offered Diana his arm. "Um…shall we?"

Diana looped her arm with his awkwardly and the two walked toward the Head table to join Harry and Parvati, Krum and Hermione, and Fleur and the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, Roger Davies.

She noticed Harry's mouth drop open in shock when he realized who his girl friends' dates were, and Diana couldn't stop herself from grinning amusedly and waving at him.

"Harry didn't _know_, did he?" Cedric asked her in an undertone, grinning too.

"Of _course_ not," Diana replied under her breath, "He's a bit too naïve to get anything with _girls_…and today's the first day in _years_ I can actually be _called_ one."

Cedric faced her, gripped her hand in his and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"I will warn you, I'm not the best of dancers," she murmured as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"That's okay," Cedric assured her, "I hate dancing anyway. After this, we'll go somewhere else, eh?"

Diana nodded in agreement; she hated how the Cedric fan-girls that had been bugging Harry glared at her and other various boys were staring at her instead of at their own dates.

A waltz started, and they started to dance; Diana at first only looked at the floor as to make sure she didn't step on Cedric's foot or something, but eventually, she got the hang of it and looked back up.

* * *

"So Yugi-kun beat Pegasus and my Yami took over my body so he could steal his Millennium Eye," Ryou explained, "Of course, I didn't really _know_ what was going on…I wish I _had_, then maybe I could've stopped Bakura-san from getting into so much trouble." 

"One never really knows the danger of their inner darkness until it's too late," Luna stated wisely, "My dad wrote an article about dark presences in people for _the Quibbler_ a few years ago, but it's _fascinating_ to hear about it from someone who knows what it's _like_."

Ryou shrugged. "Consider yourself _lucky_ you don't know what it's like _firsthand_, Yue-chan…_hell_, only _Mokuba-kun_ doesn't out of the five of _us_, and he's probably seen every one of his friends possessed, kidnapped or sent to the Shadow Realm at least _once_."

Right then Mokuba and Gabrielle came over to them; Mokuba was wearing indigo dress robes over white pants, while Gabrielle wore pale green robes with transparent long sleeves.

"Konnichiwa Ryou-kun," greeted Mokuba, "Konnichiwa Luna-kun. How is everything?"

"Well, the decorations are _nice_, but I think the whole atmosphere would be _perfect_ with some _Nargles_ in the mistletoe," Luna answered conversationally, "_That_ way girls wouldn't have an excuse to shove boys underneath it just to get a kiss."

Ryou laughed. Gabrielle and Mokuba both blushed.

"Well…ano…" Mokuba muttered, before changing the subject and looking at the albino, "Ryou-kun, have you seen Dare-kun? I've seen everyone here except _her_, and Mione-kun said she came in with her and Ginny-kun."

Ryou was about to say, _"No, I haven't,"_ but Luna replied, "Everyone's been _staring_ at her, Mokuba, I'm surprised you haven't _noticed_."

"Nani?" Ryou asked, surprised, "Everyone's been staring at _Dare-kun_…?"

Luna pointed over to where the four champions were dancing; Ryou frowned, looking from Harry and Parvati, to Fleur and Roger Davies, to Krum and Hermione, to Cedric and a girl with a gold tiara on her head and wearing pearl white dress robes…a girl who Ryou recognized as…

_-DARE-CHAN?-_ shouted Bakura.

Ryou felt himself being shoved into his soul-room as his Yami took over.

_/BAKURA-SAN! LET ME OUT OF HERE THIS INSTANT! I'M WARNING YOU, YAMI-SAN!…/_

The Tomb Robber ignored him and only watched Cedric dancing with Diana on the dance-floor, his sharp-lidded brown eyes flashing dangerously.

"Hello."

Bakura turned to look at Luna, an eyebrow raised: she was looking at him in a vaguely pleasant way.

"You're Ryou's Yami."

"Yeah," he growled, looking back at Cedric in time to see him smile at Diana and feeling a flash of hatred.

Luna looked from Bakura to Diana and Cedric and back again. "If you like her so much, why don't you just _tell_ her so?"

"Shut up," Bakura snapped.

"You're _very_ rude," Luna told him bluntly, "But after everything you've done to Ryou and his friends, I guess _rudeness_ is _nothing_."

"What's it to you anyway?" retorted Bakura without looking at her.

Luna crossed her arms. "I think you should go back into your soul-room and let your Hikari take control again."

"And why should I listen to _you_?" Bakura inquired irritably.

"Because you don't listen to _Ryou_," she replied.

Bakura shot one more glare in Cedric's direction, snorted loudly and forced Ryou to take his place.

_-That girl of yours is a pain in the ass, you know-_

Ryou smiled. _/If you thought that for real, you would've sent her to the Shadow Realm/_

Bakura grumbled something under his breath before shutting the mind-link.

"Thanks, Yue-chan," said Ryou.

Luna waved a hand dismissively. "No problem. I much prefer _you_ to _him_. I don't know how Diana Randall _stands_ him…"

* * *

**Kitty: ARRRR, THAT BE THE END!**

**Yugi: ARRRR, Neko-chan, how be Mione-kun?**

**Kitty: ARRRR, what be ye saying, Captain Hot-Ass?**

**Yugi: ARRRR, why, Mione-kun's birthday, me wench!**

**Kitty: ARRRR, Mione's birthday be today?**

**Hermione: (nods and gestures to the cake Ron made)**

**Kitty: ARRRR! Mione, why be ye not say so? I be thinking you were a landlubber, when ye be the truest buckaneer on the seven seas! Ye be born on Talk-Like-a-Pirate day! (puts a pirate skull-and-crossbones hat on Hermione's head)**

**Hermione: Um...ARRRR?**

**Kitty: ARRRR! **

**Yugi: ARRRR and ARRRR, me hearties! **


	21. Chapter 20: Proposals and Performances

**Kitty: (sighs) Next chappie!**

**Noa: About time! What took you so long?**

**Kitty: School...and making sure everyone read it. **

**Yugi: You've been really busy, haven't you, Kitten?**

**Kitty: Aye!...I mean, yeah. Literary Magazine, Debate Team, Drama Club...and of course, my regular crap.**

**Atem: So this chapter is the next part of the Yule Ball?**

**Kitty: Yeah...doesn't progress the story as much as the last chapter was or next chapter will be, but you need a bit of a break from all this serious stuff.**

**Yugi: (nods in agreement) R&R, all!**

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty:**_

_**Proposals and Performances**_

The silence between Cedric and her was starting to bother Diana. At first, she reminded herself dancing was supposed to be about the atmosphere…finally she decided to speak, but before she could, Cedric did.

"I know what you're thinking," he muttered, "Why did I ask you to the Yule Ball if everyone's saying Cho and I are dating?"

Diana blinked at his accuracy, and after a moment, she repeated, "_'Everyone's saying?'_"

Cedric sighed, looking sad. "Cho and I have been friends since we were kids…both of our dads are in the Ministry, so we've _always_ known each other. We used to play all the time, you know, drawing and playing house and stuff…and…I don't know…maybe Cho _actually_ thought I _liked_ her like that…but I never have. I couldn't _ever_ see her anything _other_ than a friend. I didn't want to _hurt_ her…but I already liked someone _else_ and I couldn't tell her how I felt because _everyone_ thought I was dating _Cho_…it was like a heavy weight on my back…I just couldn't _take_ it anymore. I told Cho I didn't feel for her that way…and she was _really_ hurt…I felt _awful_…but I also felt kind of _free_…I can now tell the girl I like how I feel about her."

Their eyes locked, gray on sky blue. Diana had never realized until then how deep Cedric's eyes were…it would be very easy for someone to fall and stare into them forever…

"I feel bad that I had to break Cho's heart to do so…but I _had_ to tell you, Dare. I've always seen you around and thought you were a wonderful person, but…I _never_ thought you were as wonderful as you _are_ until I _met_ you. I _finally_ noticed how brave, loyal, funny and kind you are. You're really a _beautiful_ person, Dare…_that's_ why I asked you…so I could tell you how I felt about you. You don't have to feel the same way about _me_, I just…I couldn't keep it to myself anymore."

Diana stared. She never would've guessed Cedric asked her so he could proclaim love for her.

_/What can I say?.../_ she asked herself, _/Do I feel the same way? Of course not! I'm not in love…/_

* * *

"_**Ow!"**_

_**Diana looked down to see she'd fallen on top of Cedric.**_

"_**Oops…sorry," she apologized, rolling off him, standing up and offering him a hand, "Are you okay?"**_

"_**Yeah…yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, blushing slightly as he took her hand and pulled himself up, "Are you?"**_

"_**I've fallen on a lot more uncomfortable things than you," Diana joshed, grinning, "Don't worry about it."**_

* * *

_**Cedric smiled at Atem, before looking at Diana and adding, "So you don't…I mean…"**_

"_**I don't hold the badges or what those girls said against you," Diana assured, holding a hand up as if she were a witness vowing to tell the truth in court, "Because I know you'd love a chance to throw both the badges and the girls into the Lake for the Giant Squid to deal with."**_

_**Cedric smiled broadly. "Thanks."**_

* * *

_**Cedric straightened up and handed the book to her. "Here."**_

"_**Uh…thanks."**_

_**Diana took it from him. Their fingers touched for just a second, but she felt an odd shot of electricity flood her at the contact. Ignoring it, she put the book in her bag and smiled slightly at Cedric.**_

* * *

"_**Hey! Dare!"**_

_**Diana looked back at Cedric, who had gathered up his bag and had joined her in the doorway.**_

"_**Will you go to the ball with me?" he asked quickly.**_

_**Diana didn't know what she had expected him to say, but the word "Yeah," seemed to just fall from her lips without checking with her brain for any arguments.**_

"**_Great," Cedric sounded relieved, "Well, I better go…see you there!"_**

* * *

_/…Am I?.../_

"Dare?"

Diana fazed out of her thoughts to see the waltz had ended and Cedric was looking at her in concern.

"Um…sorry," she murmured, "I just…"

"Got caught up in your thoughts," Cedric supplied, trying not to look sad, "Don't worry about it…it's okay."

"No, it's not," Diana dissented seriously, "Cedric…about what you said…"

But she didn't get to finish for, right then, Dumbledore's voice echoed through the Great Hall, "And _now_, ladies and gentlemen, it is my _esteemed_ pleasure to introduce our _entertainment_ for this evening…all the way from Domino, Japan, please present your _fondest_ welcomes to Kara Rozene!"

Kara appeared the stage wearing a bright orange dress with a single petal-like sleeve and flashy amber earrings. Diana's friends whooped loudly at the sight of her, and Artemis's Heir was glad to see that even though Snape and the Slytherin students didn't show much respect to the Muggle singer, Kara seemed to have a fan-base at both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

"Hello, Hogwarts!" Kara said into a microphone, waving at the crowd, "I'm _so_ flattered to be here…but unfortunately," her voice put on a melancholy tone, "This occasion is _not_ just that of _celebration_…something _very_ important has _died_ recently…do you know what that _is_, my friends?"

There was a silence. Karkaroff looked at Dumbledore skeptically, but Dumbledore paid no attention.

"_Acceptance_!" Kara shouted, stamping her foot to prove her point, "_When_ was the last time you remember going somewhere and _not_ having people look at you and make judgments? _When_ was the last time that you remember our leaders talking of _peace_ as if it _wasn't_ an impossible dream? I know I sound like a _hippie_ here…but _when_ was the last time you felt love and respect for _every little thing on this green earth_?"

Some Beauxbatons girls yelled approval. Even Viktor Krum nodded in agreement next to Hermione.

Kara sighed deeply, before she brought her microphone closer to her mouth and started to sing,

"_**Dearly beloved,  
We gather here to say our goodbyes…"**_

Diana's mouth dropped open. _/She did not…she is not singing…/_

Off-stage, two male voices sang a deep, church-like **_"Dies irae, dies illa…"_** and Kara continued,

"_**Here she lies:  
No one knew her worth,  
The late great daughter of Mother Earth…  
On this night, when we celebrate the birth  
In that little town of Bethlehem,  
We raise our glass…  
You bet your ASS, to…"**_

Maxime and Karkaroff looked scandalized; Dumbledore beamed in delight; several people laughed.

A black-haired woman dressed in a long sleeved, high-necked blue kimono adorned with a silver dragon appeared on the stage with a microphone and sang in harmony with Kara a proclamation of **_"La Vie Boheme!"_**

"_That's my Crystal_!" yelled Seto, "_That's my Melisanne_!"

Melisanne bowed respectfully, smiling, as Kara's Durmstrang fan club whistled in approval. A chanting of **_"La Vie Boheme!"_** started as more people came onto the stage; Kitty in a black tank top and flowing red skirt, Joey in a collared green shirt and black pants, Mai in a purple tube-top and leather skirt, Serenity in a pale pink dress and Joey's friend Tristan dressed in a blue shirt under a brown suit.

"_GO NEKO-CHAN_!" whooped Yugi, "_GO JOEY-KUN_!"

"**_To days of inspiration,"_** Kara sang positively,  
**_"Playing hooky, making something out of nothing!  
The need to express, to communicate,  
To going against the grain,_**  
_**Going insane…going mad!  
To loving tension, no pension,  
To more than one dimension,  
To starving for attention,  
Hating convention, hating pretension!  
Not to mention, of course,  
Hating dear old mom and dad!  
To riding your bike midday past the three-piece suits,  
To fruits, to no absolutes,  
To Absolute, to choice, to the Village Voice,  
To any passing fad!"**_

Kara wrapped her arms around Kitty and Joey, who nodded in agreement as she sang,

"_**To being an 'us,' for once,**_  
**_Instead of a 'them!'"_**

The crowd laughed as the three pointed toward the teachers at the staff table and put their hands to their mouths in mock horror, before repeating their main declaration of **_"La Vie Boheme!"_**

Rock music blasted around the room, and it only stopped when Joey cleared his throat and glared at Tristan, who had been flirting with Serenity.

"**_Hey mister,"_** he snapped in rhythm, **_"She's my sister!"_**

Kara had taken out a pad of paper and started writing on it like a waiter taking orders at a restaurant and singing out her list,

"_**So that's five miso soup,  
Four seaweed salad,  
Three soy burger dinner,  
Two tofu dog platter,  
And one pasta with meatless balls!"**_

"_Ew_," said someone not on stage who Diana realized was Malfoy. He obviously didn't know the song: Diana decided he must've been trying to insult the performance.

Joey took it in stride, though, and looked right at him as he sang, **_"It tastes the same…if you close your eyes!" _**making the crowd laugh and Malfoy scowl, annoyed at being used in the performance.

"**_And 13 orders of fries,"_** Kara finished writing on her pad and looked up, **_"Is that it here?"_**

"**_WINE AND BEER!"_** the others replied in a loud chorus.

Kitty and Melisanne came forward and clinked their two bottles of butterbeer together as they sang,

"_**To hand-crafted beers made in local breweries,  
To yoga, to yogurt,  
To rice and beans and cheese,  
To leather, to dildos, to curry vindaloo!  
To huevos rancheros,  
And Maya Angelou!"**_

Mai and Kara exchanged a high-five as they chanted,

"_**Emotion, devotion,  
To causing a commotion,  
Creation, vacation…"**_

"**_Mucho masturbation!"_** interjected Joey, making all the teachers but Dumbledore choke on their drinks.

"**_Compassion, to fashion,"_** sang Mai and Kara,  
"_**To passion, when it's new!  
To Sontag, to Sondheim,  
To anything taboo!"**_

"**_Ginsberg, Dylan, Cunningham and Cage!"_** chanted Tristan and Joey,  
"_**Lenny Bruce…Langston Hughes!  
To the stage!  
To Uta, to Buddha…  
Pablo Neruda, too!"**_

Joey did a cartwheel over to Kitty sitting on the edge of the stage, and their voices harmonized for

"_**Why Dorothy and Toto went over the rainbow  
To blow off Auntie Em!  
La Vie Boheme!"**_

Kara handed her microphone to Ginny, and Ginny went to Gabrielle, Mokuba, Fleur and Roger Davies.

"**_Sisters?"_** Ginny asked, grinning at Fleur and Gabrielle.

"**_We're close!"_** Gabrielle laughed, obviously knowing the song.

Mokuba took the mike from Ginny and leapt onto Seto's back. Seto wheezed in surprise at his little brother glomping him, but contented Mokuba by proclaiming with him, **_"Brothers!"_**

The singers on stage all grouped together to chant in unison,

"_**Bisexuals, trisexuals,  
Homo sapiens, carcinogens,  
Hallucinogens, men…  
Pee Wee Herman!  
German wine, turpentine, Gertrude Stein,  
Antonioni, Bertolucci, Kurosawa…  
Carmina Burana!  
To apathy, to entropy, to empathy, ecstasy!  
Vaclav Havel! The Sex Pistols, 8BC!  
To no shame, never playing the Fame Game…  
To marijuana!**_  
**_To sodomy: it's between God and me!_**  
**_To S & M!_**  
_**La Vie Boheme!"**_

"Your friend Kara is really talented," Cedric whispered to Diana as the performance continued.

Artemis's Heir looked at him seriously. "Cedric, _please_…I need to talk to you…about you and me. I…I feel like I should explain myself…why I feel the way I do."

Cedric looked around at the crowd and then whispered, "How about we go out to the gardens? Away from all this noise."

Diana nodded in assent, before taking Cedric's hand and following him out the backdoor of the Great Hall outside into the cold Hogwarts gardens.

* * *

**Kitty: (singing) _VIVA LA VIE BOHEME!_**

**Yugi: Awesome song choice, Kitten.**

**Kitty: (grins) I know who else will like it! (runs out of the room suddenly)**

**Atem and Noa: (look confused)**

**Yugi: (sighs) Kitty's got a new obsession...**

**Kitty: (drags in Ed and Al from Fullmetal Alchemist) **

**Ed: Huh? What the hell...?  
**

**Al: Brother, where are we?**

**Kitty: You're in my room. I'm Kitty.**

**Al: Nice to meet you-**

**Ed: Don't talk to her, Al. (looks at Kitty suspiciously) Why are we here?**

**Kitty: (thinks for a moment) ...Because I think you and Al are awesome.**

**Ed: What?**

**Kitty: I think you and your brother are hot.**

**Ed: ...Really?  
**

**Kitty: Yeah.**

**Ed: (grins proudly)  
**

**Atem: Kitty obviously has a liking of short people.**

**Ed: (being held back by Al) WHO'S SO SHORT YOU NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE HIM?**

**Atem: (blinks) ...I never said _that_...**

**Kitty: (sighs) NEVER insult Ed-chan's height. (to audience) R&R!**


	22. Chapter 21: I Should Tell You

**Kitty: Heysies, everyone!**

**Yugi: Kitty just posted another shonen-ai fic...**

**Kitty: A Little Mermaid parody with Atem/Yugi and side Ryou/Bakura and Seto/Joey. SO GO READ! (laughs) Okay, just kidding, you don't have to. But it would make me happy. **

**Al: (peeks into Kitty's room) Kitty?**

**Kitty: Yeah?**

**Al: (holds out one of Kitty's two cats) What's your cat's name?**

**Kitty: I have two, Al, but that one you're holding is named Spice. **

**Al: (pets Spice) She's so sweet...**

**Spice: (purrs happily)**

**Kitty: (smiles at Al being so happy) Isn't it a wonderful thing when you have a bishie visit who loves the animal who is your namesake? (to audience) Okay, all, guess what. This chapter...is a doozy. **

**Atem: (confused) Meaning...?**

**Kitty: A lot of things happen in this chapter...**

**Atem: Bad stuff?  
**

**Kitty: I can't say, it might spoil it...just know that this chapter is bound to affect some people emotionally...and I apologize for any medical problems you readers might have as a result.**

**Al: (is still petting Spice, looks at Kitty) Um...now I have to say 'R&R,' right?**

**Kitty: (nods) Yep.**

**Al: Okay then! R&R!**

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-One:**_

_**I Should Tell You**_

Snow swirled around the two as they walked out into the Hogwarts gardens. Little fairy lights shone around the pillars, statues and thick rose bushes, and the fountains glittered with diamond-like ice instead of its normal water. No one had seemed to discover it as a quiet, romantic setting yet, likely still inside dancing and listening to Kara's performance, but Diana couldn't see the ornate romance in the place at the time. All she could think about was how to explain to Cedric how she felt…but how to tell someone how you feel when you barely know how you feel yourself?

Diana shivered. Usually the cold didn't bother her, but the sleeves of her dress robes were only made of feathers and very lightweight.

"Here," Cedric murmured, taking his gold robes off to reveal a long-sleeved black turtleneck underneath and pulling the robes around her to get her warm.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked in concern.

"I'm fine," he assured her, "Besides, you're probably colder than I might be."

"Thanks…"

She hugged the robes around her: they were still warm from his wearing them.

The two sat on a bench behind some rosebushes. Cedric was rubbing her hands to keep them warm.

_-Randall, let me out!-_ Artemis growled at her, _-Blood…I need blood!-_

_/Shut up/_ Diana snapped at her, _/I'm not letting you out, so leave me alone/_

She felt her almost-Yami slamming at her soul-room door, trying to break free, but she firmly kept it shut. She had to tell Cedric how she felt about him…then she could go to the Hospital Wing.

"Cedric…" her voice cracked, but she pressed on, "Before I tell you how I feel…I just want you to know where I'm coming from."

She took a deep breath. "When I was little…the Minister told me that, after learning she was one of Voldemort's targets, my father left my mother and me to die."

Cedric looked troubled. "_Oh_…Dare, I'm _sorry_…"

Diana smiled at him, glad for his sympathy. "I'm okay now…but with that _knowledge_, I was afraid of ending up the same way. My mum was brilliant, people told me…so I decided that my father was able to trick her because she was a woman with a tender heart. That's why I dress like a boy all the time…I almost convinced myself if I didn't _look_ like a girl, I wouldn't be _treated_ like one. Of course, deep down, I _knew_ that wasn't _true_…but I _still_ didn't want to open up and get hurt in the process."

"I see," Cedric murmured, "So you closed yourself off from love and are still afraid of it to this day."

Diana nodded slowly. "Cedric, I like you a lot, I _really_ do…you're _not_ the reason I don't think I could date you…it's _me_. Relationships make you _give_ as much as you _get_…and I'm too afraid of getting hurt to open up and give _you_ as much as you might give _me_. I'd be cheating you out of the love you deserve. That's why…I'd like to ask if you'd give me some _time_…I _would_ like to date you…but I don't think I could be the girlfriend you'd want me to be right _now_. Please understand."

Cedric smiled. "I do. I'll wait as long as you need…I promise."

"Thank you," Diana whispered.

Cedric put his arms around her and gave her a hug. Diana found it weird burying her face into his chest, since she rarely got hugs from others, but she couldn't help but like it. His arms were so warm, and the smell of his clothes was an interesting mixture of leather and roses that almost immediately calmed her for a reason she couldn't name. Maybe it was just because it was _his_ scent…_Cedric's_.

She came out of her daydreaming when she heard a voice vaguely sing a soft **_"I should tell you, I should tell you…"_**

Diana pulled away from Cedric and looked up at him. "You like RENT?"

Cedric blinked and then grinned. "Love it. You too?"

Diana nodded. "Yugi's girlfriend Kitty introduced it to me when they went to New York."

Cedric nodded too. "It's just…this situation we're in…out in the snow talking about our feelings…it made me think of Roger and Mimi."

"Oh yeah, you're right," Diana realized.

She thought of the song, singing it absently to herself.

"_**I should tell you I'm disaster…  
I forget how to begin it…"**_

"**_Let's just make this part go faster,"_** Cedric sang Mimi's part in return,  
"_**I have yet to be in it…"**_

"_**I should tell you…"**_

_**"I should tell you…" **_

_**"I should tell you…" **_

_**"I should tell…"**_

"**_I should tell I blew the candle out just to get back in,"_** Diana sang, a smile coming to her face.

Cedric's fingers combed out some of the snow in Diana's hair as he answered with Roger's verse of

"_**I'd forgotten how to smile until your candle burnt my skin." **_

"_**I should tell you…"**_

"_**I should tell you…"**_

"_**I should tell you…"**_

"**_I should tell…" _**their voices combined,  
"_**Trusting desire: starting to learn…  
Walking through fire without a burn!  
Clinging a shoulder, a leap begins…  
Stinging and older, asleep on pins…  
So here we go…"**_

They looked at each other in silence, barely noticing that they were moving slowly closer to each other with every second. Their hearts almost beat as one: their eyes locked together…

And Diana felt her eyes flash red.

_-Randall, let me out! Bitch, I know you can hear me!-_

Diana held her head, trying to secure her mental fortification against Artemis.

_-Randall, let me out now! Blood! Blood…!-_

"Dare? Dare, are you alright?"

_-I NEED BLOOD!-_

_/Shut up…SHUT UP/_

Her eyes flashed red again fiercely as Cedric grabbed her arms and made her look up at him.

"Cedric, I…" she started, but he put a finger to her lips.

"It's _Artemis_, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

Diana stared. "How…_how_ do you…?"

"It's not _that_ much of a _secret_," Cedric answered reassuringly, "Almost everyone at school who knows you knows about Artemis."

She looked at the ground so he didn't have to see her eyes flash. "And you're not _mad_?"

"Scared for _you_, but not _mad_," he answered, "But don't you _know_ when Artemis will come out?"

Diana nodded mutely.

"And you came _anyway_?" Cedric asked, shocked.

"I…I didn't want to let you down," she murmured. Now that she was saying it, it sounded pathetic.

The Hufflepuff champion stared at her. "You came…because of _me_?"

"Well, you would've looked _stupid_ if you were the only champion without a _date_!" Diana pointed out, "I…I wasn't going to stay long, but…but this…just made me lose _track_ of things. It was…so _wonderful_…I almost _forgot_…"

Cedric gave a sad smile and got up from the bench. "C'mon…I'll take you up to the Hospital Wing."

"You don't have to," Diana objected as she stood up as well.

"I want to," Cedric told her firmly.

Diana felt her heart swell. "Thank you."

They walked back through the doors into the Great Hall. Diana brushed the snow out of Cedric's hair while he did the same for her, and then she took off his dress robes and returned them to him before they headed through the Hall past the dancing, eating and talking couples and toward the door out into the entrance hall. Diana saw them pass her friends and wished she could say goodbye to them before she left, but knew she had no time to do so.

Almost as soon as the tall doors were in sight, a voice rang out behind them and made Diana stop.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't little Miss Randall."

Diana turned to glare at Malfoy, who was wearing black velvet dress robes with a collar that made him look like a vicar. Behind him with several other Slytherins and smirking at her was Pansy Parkinson, dressed in frilly pink robes that Diana wouldn't wear if it were the last thing she ever did.

"So you decided to be a _girl_ for once, Randall?" Malfoy sneered, "I thought _Bakura_ was the feminine one out of the two of you."

Diana ignored him and headed determinedly toward the door. Unfortunately, Malfoy walked right in front of her so she couldn't get past him.

"Let me by, Malfoy," she said quietly, having problems keeping her voice calm since she was already focusing almost all of her mental energy trying to restrain Artemis.

_-BLOOD! BLOOD, RANDALL! LET ME OUT!-_

Malfoy paid no attention to Diana's words, instead pretending to think hard about something. "It's funny…but I seem to recall a certain _party_ a long time ago that was a lot _like_ this…and I remember seeing a girl there that looked a lot like _you_, Randall…of course…she didn't stay a girl _that_ long."

_-LET ME OUT, YOU WORTHLESS BITCH HIKARI…!-_

"Malfoy, get out of my way," Diana repeated heatedly, finding it difficult to focus on both Malfoy and Artemis, "I _don't_ have time for this."

And then, out of nowhere, she felt herself being shoved backward and onto the ground. Her crown fell off her head onto the floor and broke in two with a _CRACK_.

Several people had turned to watch the action. Diana looked up at Malfoy to see him looking down at her with a very menacing look in his eyes.

"You think you can just _pretend_ you're a _normal_ person?" he whispered angrily, "You think you _deserve_ to _live_ like real people and _be_ with _real_ people?"

The redhead struggled to her feet as Cedric came to her side.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, but she wasn't paying attention.

"If _you're_ called a _real_ person, Malfoy, then I don't _want_ to be one," Diana snapped, vehemently walking past the Slytherin, "Goodbye."

But as she passed him, he seized her wrist and swung her around into the wall. Her back hit it painfully and Malfoy held her wrist over her head. Apparently he'd grown taller since she'd last seen him, for he now equaled her in height: the way he held onto her wrist and looked down at her, though, made him look like he was lording over her. Cedric started forward, but Crabbe and Goyle, dressed in green robes that made them look like moss-covered boulders, stepped in front of him.

"You're _pathetic_," Malfoy hissed at her, "Not _human_, not _vampire_…you're not even a _half-breed_, you're just _possessed_ by one…you don't fit _anywhere_…all you are is a _filthy_, _bloodthirsty_ _monster_."

_-RANDALL! BLOOD…NEED…BLOOD!-_

Artemis shouting in her ears, Diana struggled to pull out of Malfoy's grip.

_/I need…to get away…I need to be locked up…I can't…let it happen again…/_

She looked up at Malfoy and remembered the little boy she had met years ago at that Ministry party…the one that had made her angry enough to let Artemis out…the one she'd almost _killed_…

"Malfoy…_please_…" she could barely focus with Artemis's screams pounding louder and louder in her ears.

"Oh, gone to _pleading_, have we?" Malfoy mocked, his eyes glinting triumphantly, "I must say, you do _better_ submissively…maybe someone should go and train you and you'll be someone's _pet_…that's all you'd _ever_ be good for-" 

The next thing anyone knew, Diana had been replaced with the golden-eyed, white-haired, blue-skinned Artemis; Malfoy yelled as Artemis lunged at him and threw him back onto the floor, hissing and spitting furiously. Artemis gave a fanged smirk, opened her mouth and prepared to bite…

But someone in gold-trimmed silver dress robes had jumped onto Artemis and thrown her off Malfoy, holding her arms down to the floor as he towered over her.

It was Bakura.

"_Dark Ryou_!" Luna cried from the sidelines.

"Tomb Robber, be _careful_!" cautioned Atem.

Artemis's gold eyes widened and she struggled to escape from his hold, hissing furiously.

"_YOU_, _TOUZOKUOU_…!"

Bakura's dark eyes were filled with insane fire as he tightened his grip around her neck.

"_You get back where you belong and leave Dare-chan alone_!"

The Millennium Ring around his neck glowed and he slammed it hard into Artemis's chest with his free hand. The half-vampire shrieked as gold light shone around them, and when the light faded, Diana lay limp in Bakura's arms.

"Dare-chan!" Bakura whispered, slapping her face gently, "Wake up…_Dare-chan_…"

"_Dare_!" Cedric cried, racing over to them.

Diana opened her eyes vaguely, before tears came to her eyes and trickled down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled in a type of absent grief, "I'm _sorry_…"

"_Shh_," Cedric shushed her, wiping her tears away and pulling her out of Bakura's arms into his, making the Thief's eyes narrow, "_No_, Dare…it's not your fault…it's not your fault…"

Malfoy was still on the floor, staring at Diana in Cedric's arms as if he were a child that just woke up from a nightmare.

"She almost _killed_ me…" he realized weakly.

Pansy ran over to him and inquired frantically, "Draco darling! Are you alright?"

"_She almost killed me_…" Malfoy only repeated, as if dumbfounded.

"It was all your fault!" snapped Harry, who had shoved through the crowd to get to them, followed by Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and the Japanese teens.

"_Malfoy_, _kisama_!" Marik growled, "I'll _kill_ you for doing that to Dare-kun, you filthy little…!"

Kara and Joey had to hold him back so he wouldn't truly kill Malfoy, but they too looked murderous.

"That is enough."

They all turned to see Dumbledore coming forward. He looked slowly over the scene, from the dumbstruck Malfoy being attended to by Pansy, to Bakura, to Cedric holding the crying Diana.

"Mr. Diggory, if you would bring Miss Randall up to Madame Pomfrey," Dumbledore said gravely.

Cedric stood, holding Diana in his arms bridal style: Bakura looked at Dumbledore imploringly.

"Yes, I think you should go with them too, Bakura," Dumbledore stated, nodding, "But after you do that, I need both of you to come to my office…I need to know what happened."

Bakura nodded, before doggedly following Cedric as he carried Diana out the door. Cedric could see the Tomb Robber watching him closely but didn't say anything to him as Diana was in his arms and he didn't want to talk to her about anything while she was so traumatized.

'_Ryou never acts like this,'_ Cedric thought to himself as he took a back glance at the suspicious Thief King, _'And somehow I don't think he would've jumped onto Artemis like that…could this be the guy that everyone calls Ryou's other self?'_

At last they reached the Hospital Wing; when Madame Pomfrey opened the door, she looked horrified to see Diana in Cedric's arms with one of her feathery sleeves and part of her skirt ripped.

Cedric put Diana down and she followed Madame Pomfrey to the back of the Hospital Wing.

"Wait," said Bakura abruptly, "What are you _doing_? Shouldn't she get in one of the beds and _rest_?"

"_Rest_?" Madame Pomfrey recurred, "No…she has to be locked up before Artemis comes out again-"

"_LOCKED UP_?" Bakura shouted.

He looked demandingly at Diana. "Dare-chan, you _aren't_…you're _not_ going to be…!"

"It's okay, Bakura," she assured him quietly.

Madame Pomfrey opened the door to the room Diana was locked up in; it wasn't surprising that Bakura was horrified at the sight of the bare, steel cell with thick chains on the walls.

"Dare-chan, you _can't_!"

Madame Pomfrey locked the shackles around her wrists and ankles and Diana slid down the wall to the floor tiredly. Cedric tried to stop him, but Bakura raced past Madame Pomfrey into the cell and grabbed Diana's shoulders.

"_Dare-chan_-"

"It's _okay_, Bakura…" Diana murmured, "I'm _okay_…please, go…"

"I won't let you be _locked_ _up_!" cried Bakura.

"Bakura, _please_," she implored, her voice strained, "I don't want you to see me transform…I don't want you to have to see her again after what happened to you-"

"You can't stay in a _cell_, Dare-chan!" Bakura argued, "You're a _human_, you _can't_ be locked up!"

"_Bakura_…"

"I won't leave you here!"

Artemis hissed furiously and snapped near Bakura's wrist; the Tomb Robber shot backward as she struggled against the chains, hissing madly.

"_TOUZOKUOU_!"

Madame Pomfrey pulled Bakura out of the cell, slammed the door shut and clicked the double lock on it closed. Ryou's Yami didn't move, though, and merely stared at the steel door.

"_Dare-chan_…" he whispered.

Cedric put a hand on Bakura's shoulder. "She'll be alright…c'mon, we have to go see Dumbledore."

Bakura glared at him, pulled his shoulder out of his grip and strode quickly out of the Hospital Wing. The Hufflepuff ran out of the ward, trying to catch up with him.

"_Hey_! Yami Ryou!"

Bakura froze mid-step. Then he slowly turned to look at Cedric.

"I've heard talk about you," Cedric told him, "You're just known as _Bakura_, right?"

"What's it to you, pretty boy?" Bakura retorted moodily.

Cedric ignored him, responding seriously, "It's _obvious_ you have feelings for Dare, Bakura, and I-"

"You leave Dare-chan _alone_, Diggory," Bakura cut him off furiously, "You're already dating _Chang_, so go off and fuck _her_…I _won't_ let you hurt Dare-chan."

Cedric's gray eyes narrowed. "I'm _not_ dating Cho. And I would rather _die_ than hurt Dare. _You're_ the one who should back off."

"Is that a _challenge_?" Bakura demanded, his eyes filled with fire.

"It's a _directive_," Cedric answered coldly, "I've heard about your relationship with Artemis…and Dare is Artemis's reincarnation, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"_So_ you might just like her because she's like _Artemis_."

Bakura's eyes widened wrathfully. "How _dare_ you! Dare-chan means more to me than _anything_!"

"I like Dare more than I've ever liked _anyone_," Cedric stated austerely, "_You_, I'm not so sure. If you like Dare so _much_, and it's not because of _Artemis_, tell me why."

"What do you mean?" hissed Bakura.

"If you _don't_ love Dare just because of _Artemis_, what makes you love her? In other words, what makes you love Dare more than Artemis's memory?"

Bakura was rendered speechless for a moment, before he glared at him. "I don't have to _defend_ myself to a pretty boy like _you_!"

"No," Cedric agreed, "But you _do_ need to be honest with yourself. You don't _deserve_ any affection from Dare if you only care about her because of _Artemis_."

And with that, he turned his back on Bakura, leaving the Thief King to stare after him and wonder about the roots of his feelings for the girl he loved.

* * *

**Kitty: End.**

**Yugi: (eyes wide) Daaaaaaaaaamn, Kitten. **

**Atem: Damn Artemis: she ruined everything!**

**Cedric and Bakura: (hug Diana tightly)**

**Diana: (smiles gratefully at both of them)**

**Kitty: (sighs) Rainbow asked me in her review why I chose La Vie Boheme for Kara's performance...partly because it's the song that leads into the one in this chapter, but also for two other reasons, one of which was Dumbledore's speech in the fourth book about unity, and the other was that I thought the fun atmosphere of the Yule Ball in the movie was so refreshing compared to the stuffy waltzish atmosphere usually found at such parties. That, and I love the song...A LOT. (grins) You should rent the movie sometime; I doubt you wouldn't enjoy it. (giggles) Cute...rent RENT... (giggles again like a dork) Ahem...anyway...sorry to correct you, Mizumi, but Al isn't a robot. He's a soul that was separated from his body and now resides in an old suit of armor. **

**Al: Not that I had any choice in the matter.**

**Yugi: (shrugs) R&R, all!**


	23. Chapter 22: Differences and Deception

**Kitty: (banging her head against the wall continously for each utterance of:) Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka.**

**Atem: (looks concernedly at Kitty as she continues) Kitty, are you...?**

**Yugi: She's mad at herself for not updating in so long...usually her writer's block isn't as awful it was.**

**Atem: But she's had family problems, right?**

**Yugi: Yeah...along with everything else. Kitten doesn't seem to think that's an excuse, though. I'm trying to convince her it's okay, but...**

**Kitty: ****(still banging her head against the wall) Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka.  
**

**Yugi: (gently pries Kitty away from the wall) Love, it's _okay_...the readers _understand_...you're _not _an idiot.  
**

**Kitty: (still muttering) Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka.**

**Atem: Looks like we're not going to convince her.**

**Yugi: (hugs Kitty tightly, face sad) R&R, everyone!**

**Kitty: Baka. Baka.**

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-Two:**_

_**Differences and Deception**_

It took all Boxing Day for Diana to wake up from the blackout that had ensued from Artemis's abuse Christmas night. Diana supposed Artemis was enraged at seeing her ancient lover again, and with being sealed in her soul-room from outside forces when she needed blood. 

When Diana's eyes opened the morning of the 27th, she found Dumbledore talking to Madame Pomfrey nearby. They obviously had not realized she was awake, so she stayed still and quiet to listen to their conversation.

"So what will be done, Headmaster?" the nurse inquired.

"I talked with Maxime, Karkaroff and Cornelius this morning," Dumbledore replied. "After I got Mr. Diggory and the Tomb Robber's testimony along with Mr. Malfoy's, we all agreed that Diana was not at fault as she was provoked and was forceful in trying to get away before she caused trouble. Olympe questioned whether Diana should even be _admitted_ here while posing such a threat to her classmates, but I assured her that Diana is usually very capable of keeping Artemis under control and is locked up when she is _not_. Cornelius _did_ tell Diana a long time ago that if something like this happened again, she would be locked up…fortunately he deemed the security we've placed on her to be enough to restrain her."

"Should I tell her when she gets up?"

"Perhaps you should wait a while…she's just gone through a _dreadful_ ordeal…I don't think she needs to concern herself with it _immediately_."

"No need to wait, Professor," Diana spoke firmly, "I'm awake."

Her voice startled Madame Pomfrey; Dumbledore didn't look surprised, however, as he turned to look at her.

"You heard everything?"

Diana nodded. "Yeah…Fudge didn't decide to lock me up?"

"No, he did not," said Dumbledore quietly, "But you still need to be more _careful_, Diana. I don't think Cornelius would've let you off so easily were it not for you being one of the brightest students in your year."

Diana gave a short, cold laugh. "Should've known he didn't care about anything but the school's grade point average…after all, sympathizing with _teenagers_ doesn't get him the approval in the _polls_, does it?"

"And not restraining Artemis more securely won't guarantee your friends' safety or your freedom, will it?" Dumbledore stated gravely.

Diana sighed sadly, feeling even guiltier than before as she thought of all of the people who could've gotten hurt besides Malfoy…like Bakura.

"No," she murmured, her heart aching at the thought, "I know…"

Dumbledore gave a slight smile. "Now…I believe there's someone outside who's been waiting to see you…"

He walked to the door, opened it and left with a sweep of his robes. As he left, the person who had been waiting outside poked his head inside.

"_Cedric_!" Diana realized, sitting up and grinning broadly.

The Hufflepuff Champion gave her a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Of course I am," Diana assured him with a smile, "A black eye never hurt anyone…well _yeah_, I guess it hurts a _little_, but _still_."

Cedric smiled too. "I don't know how you do it, Dare."

"Do what?"

"Cheer up any sort of painful experience you go through…but not in a _sickeningly_ sort of way."

Diana shrugged. "I just don't want you to worry…I mean…not everyone is as perfect as _you_, Cedric, I get bruises and black eyes _all_ the time."

Cedric laughed. "_Perfect_? _Me_? You've got to be _kidding_."

"Hmm, let's see," Diana contemplated teasingly, "Triwizard champion, talented Seeker, good student, Prefect, loyal, nice, good hair, good eyes, good teeth, fit body, has many friends and fangirls…tell me _one_ thing that _doesn't_ make you perfect, Cedric Diggory."

Cedric grinned. "I'm very ticklish."

Diana laughed. "_Ticklish_?"

"Yeah," Cedric answered with a grin, "Kind of silly, huh?"

Diana grinned mischievously. "I don't think I _believe_ you, Cedric Diggory."

Cedric blinked. "What?"

"I think I'm going to have to see this for myself," Diana joshed, before starting to tickle Cedric around his waist.

"N-_no_!" Cedric pleaded half-heartedly, before bursting out laughing and squirming desperately in an attempt to escape from Diana's tickling fingers, "HAHAHAHA…_Dare_…HAHAHA…_stop_ it…HAHAHAHA!"

Diana laughed at the absurd lengths Cedric was trying to take to pull away from her tickling. "_Aw_, poor little Ced…can't escape from the evil Miss Tickler and her fingers of doom-? _WHOA_!"

Diana accidentally lost her balance when she was towering over Cedric and tickling him, making her fall on him and thrusting them both into the floor.

The two held eye contact for two seconds before Diana quickly scrambled off of Cedric and helped him up.

"_Second_ time I've fallen on you!" Diana pointed out, forcing a smile on her face to hide her embarrassment, "I've _really_ got to stop doing that…"

She stopped abruptly when Cedric put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her carefully. Diana tried not to fall into his very deep gray eyes.

"Dare…could I ask you something?"

Diana shrugged, having problems looking Cedric in the eyes and instead looking right under them. "Sure."

"How do you feel…about Ryou's Yami?" he inquired.

Diana blinked. "Bakura? He's one of my best friends. Why?"

Cedric tried to act off-hand. "Hmm…just curious. I mean…he shares Ryou's _body_, and Ryou's my friend. I can't help but wonder about his _intentions_."

The redhead frowned deeply. "Bakura's a really good person. I know he's done bad things in the _past_, and yeah, he's not a _saint_, but he's got a good heart…he just doesn't want to leave it _vulnerable_-"

"I thought so," Cedric interrupted her defense of her friend smoothly.

"What?" said Diana.

"I thought he must be good deep down," Cedric explicated, smiling slightly, "for you to be such good friends with him and for me not to see the good in him. Besides…when he was ready to risk his life to try and get you out of that cell last night…I could see how much genuine concern he had for you."

Unlike Cedric, Diana had seen the desperation in the Tomb Robber's eyes, and she felt her heart ache at thinking those feelings were because of her.

'_Why wouldn't he just go?'_ Diana wondered in a mixture of irritation and sadness. _'He knew I was dangerous…and I assured him it was alright…'_

Something occurred to her.

"**You're a human, you can't be locked up!"**

'_He was a thief in Ancient Egypt,'_ she thought, _'Of course his worst fear in the past would've been to be locked away…'_

"Dare?" Cedric's voice interrupted her thoughts, sounding concerned.

Diana forced herself to smile at him. "Well, that's Bakura for you! Stupid but loyal…and I like him fine that way."

Cedric could sense that Diana was still wounded at the mention of Bakura, but out of respect for her feelings, decided to drop the subject.

"Alright, Mr. Diggory, that's _quite_ enough," Madame Pomfrey stated brusquely as she entered the ward from her office, "You've been here for over ten minutes…don't you have _classes_ to be getting to?"

"Oh," Cedric muttered as he glared at the clock on the wall as if it had just called a friend of his a rude name, "Yeah, I guess I do…"

He turned back to Diana. "I almost forgot…Harry visited earlier and told me to tell you if you woke up that he'd come see you later."

Diana smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Cedric…it'll be good to see him. Now go on and get to class before Poppy has a fit."

"It's _Madame Pomfrey_, young lady!" snapped the nurse, and Cedric laughed, before heading out the door to the ward.

* * *

Cedric walked down the hall toward Charms, sighing. _'Merlin, Madame Pomfrey…you couldn't have given us a few more minutes?'_

"_Hey_! Diggory!"

Cedric stopped and turned around, to find no one other than the Thief King Bakura himself running to catch up with him.

"Hello again," Cedric greeted in a type of polite dislike.

Bakura stopped in front of the Hufflepuff Champion, panting and his dark eyes narrowed. There were light wrinkles under her eyes, as if he had stayed up very late thinking about something so important he couldn't sleep.

"You wanted to know…the difference…between Dare-chan and Artemis?" he whispered coldly. "The difference…is that Dare-chan…trusts me."

Cedric was slightly taken aback, and Bakura took his silence to proceed with his argument as if they were continuing their previous confrontation.

"Artemis loved me…but she would never _admit_ to it. She was afraid to allow _anyone_ to be close enough to hurt her without being able to hurt _them_ just as much. Even though I knew her horrible past, she had to know _mine_ before she would tell me _anything_. Even though she loved me, she had to know I was ready to _die_ for her in order to show any kind of affection."

The Tomb Robber closed his eyes, swallowing slightly.

"Dare-chan _doesn't_. She knows well there are things she doesn't know about me, and it's _fine_ with her. She never asked about my past when she met me. She didn't even know about Artemis's and my relationship until third year, because she never found any need to _ask_. Dare-chan is a good woman…she cares for her friends unlimitedly, even if she doesn't know everything about them. She looks at people for their hearts..."

He opened his eyes again; they were full of fire.

"Yes, Diggory…I admit, I was drawn to Dare-chan for her likeness to Artemis…they both were brave, loyal, strong, intelligent women who never backed down from a challenge. But Artemis never _once_ showed the love and trust that Dare-chan has. I trusted Dare-chan due to her similarities to Artemis…but her _differences_ are what make me love her."

There was a silence. Then Cedric smiled.

"I'm glad."

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "_What_?"

"I confronted you out of concern for _Dare_," Cedric explicated, "I wasn't trying to _compete_ with you…love is not a game. Now that I know your feelings are _sincere_…I don't have to worry. Whether she returns your feelings or mine, Dare will find happiness. That's all that matters to me."

With that, he turned on his heel and headed up a staircase toward Charms class. Bakura stood, dumbfounded as he watched the Hufflepuff leave, before he muttered "_Feh_!" under his breath and headed back toward his Hikari's common room.

_/Yami-san?/_ Ryou's voice whispered tentatively through the mind-link, _/Aren't you going to go see Dare-kun?/_

Bakura gave a very, very slight flinch at the mention of his love.

_-No…not right now…-_ he answered.

Bakura thought privately that he needed to collect himself before seeing Diana. After all the thinking he'd done about his feelings for her, the Thief was almost afraid to see her, as his feelings might spill out of anxiety.

_/Are you sure?/_ asked Ryou.

Bakura gave a weak smirk. _-Yeah, I'm sure, baka Hikari…now go on and have some fun with that loony girl of yours.-_

_/Yue-chan is not loony, Yami-san!/ _snapped Ryou.

Bakura chuckled, making Ryou take control and retreating to his soul-room.

Ryou blinked in slight surprise. _/He's actually letting me take control without me lecturing him? Well, this is a change…/_

* * *

Diana looked out the window of the Hospital Wing, sighing slightly. _/I wish Bakura were here…I can always talk to him about anything…and I sure as hell would love someone to talk to./_

As luck would have it, the door opened to reveal Harry.

"_Dare_!" breathed Harry, sounding very relieved.

He rushed over to her and gave her a big hug.

"Hey, mate," Diana greeted gently. "How are you?"

"You're asking _me_ that?" Harry scorned, pulling away and looking slightly concerned. "How are _you_?"

"Hell, I'm still _alive_, aren't I?" laughed Diana. "What else matters?"

Harry couldn't make himself see the humor in her words. "You're alright?"

"Yes, Harry," Diana answered more seriously, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm alright."

Harry smiled as he sat on the empty bed next to hers. As he sat down, Diana suddenly noticed something was poking out of Harry's left pocket.

"What's that, Harry?"

Harry went very red and tried to shove the thing farther into his pocket. Diana, however, snatched it out of his pocket before the Boy Who Lived could stop her. It was a page ripped out of _Witch Weekly_ magazine, with a very large, fancy-lettered heading of

* * *

_**Harry Potter's Secret Heartache**_

* * *

Diana was silent for a moment, before her eyes narrowed. "She found out about your crush on Cho?" 

Harry went even redder, slightly out of embarrassment and slightly out of anger. "No…y-you don't have to read that crap, it's just Rita Skeeter-"

"Making up more lies?" finished Diana, her eyes skimming the article.

Her eyes widened in shocked anger.

* * *

_**Harry Potter: a boy like no other, perhaps, yet still a boy suffering from all the normal pangs of adolescence, **_**writes Rita Skeeter**_**. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, the fourteen-year-old Boy Who Lived finds solace and comfort from his group of friends, which contain such tragic figures as Game King Yogi Moto, cold businessman Setae Kaiba and his loyal girlfriend, the bright yet dangerous Diana Randall. **_

_**Miss Randall, a redhead with an unattractive, boyish face and figure, appears, to those who first see her, confident and no-nonsense. The Minister of Magic has even called her "brilliant beyond her age," and "a valuable student at Hogwarts School." But is her intelligence something we should fear? Unknown to most, Miss Randall is the descendant of the ancient sorceress Dark Artemis, a vicious half-vampire witch who used the Dark Arts to conquer parts of Egypt, slaughtering anyone in her way. Yet, despite the danger of being around her, Harry has found loyal companionship in Miss Randall, and has insisted her presence on every dangerous task he takes on. This reporter wonders if Harry is trying to outdo Miss Randall's deadly actions as to impress her. **_

_**However, it is not just Harry who has his eyes on Miss Randall; the other man competing for Miss Randall's affections is none other than the second Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory. Diggory is so engrossed with the young witch that he even asked her to accompany him to the Yule Ball with him. However, at the Yule Ball, Miss Randall terrified everyone by letting her half-vampire self, Artemis, take control to intimidate a classmate, Draco Malfoy. **_

_"**Draco was just talking to Randall and she forced that…monster out, and it jumped on him!" testifies Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy's attractive, polite girlfriend, "It's only because of her grades that she's still in this school at all…she's always been one of Dumbledore's favorites."**_

_**Other students have also expressed concerns about Miss Randall's presence in school.**_

_"**She's, uh…really dangerous," says Vincent Crabbe, an intellectual, loyal friend of Draco Malfoy, "I wish I could, uh…tell her she's mean for what she did to Draco, but uh…I'm too scared of her."**_

_**One must wonder whether Dumbledore can say if he cares about the safety of his students while allowing such a dangerous witch into his school.**_

* * *

Harry watched in slight concern as Diana crumpled the article in her hand, shaking slightly with fury. 

"Harry," she stated in an oddly tranquil voice.

"Y-yeah?" asked Harry.

"Remind me to turn that Skeeter bitch into a bug and _squash_ her."

* * *

**Kitty: Baka. Baka. _BAKA_! (runs back to the wall and bangs her head up against it a million times)  
**

**Yugi: Kitten, _no_! (pulls Kitty away from the wall again, glomping onto her tightly)**

**Kitty: (crying) I'M SUCH A _BAKA_!**

**Yugi: (pets Kitty's hair) You are not a baka.  
**

**Kitty: I'm horrible!**

**Yugi: You are not horrible.**

**Kitty: I'm such a procrastinator!**

**Yugi: You are a procrastinator, but that isn't why your chapter wasn't posted sooner.**

**Kitty: (wallows in emoness)**

**Atem: I guess she won't be able to answer the reviews, huh? There were quite a lot of them, weren't there?**

**Yugi: Yeah, I guess you're right...I personally think she's in no condition for it.**

**Atem: (nods in agreement and sighs) R&R!  
**


	24. Chapter 23: From the Quill of R Skeeter

**Lina: Hey...where's Kitty? Isn't she supposed to be leading into this whole thing?**

**Yugi: Neko-chan's feeling a bit ashamed. Last chapter she ranted and angsted about how much of a baka she was...and she only just posted another chapter again. (to audience) BUT LISTEN, PEOPLE. SHE HAS A REASON. **

**Noa: It's a very, very serious reason, you see. Kitty...has been kidnapped. **

**Lina: _WHAT_?**

**Atem: That's right. We've been negociating with her kidnapped trying to get her back, but he's one angst-loving loser.**

**Lina: And...who is this kidnapper?**

**Yugi: (very seriously) Herr Drosselmeyer.**

**(Silence. Crickets chirp.)**

**Lina: You mean as in that creepy old man from the Nutcracker?**

**Yugi: Well, sort of. He's better known from that...Neko-chan was kidnapped by him after watching the anime series he's in...a very underrated but wonderful show called Princess Tutu.**

**Lina: (nose scrunches up in disgust) Feh. Sounds floofy to me. **

**Atem: You're right, we thought so too...but it's actually really good! Anyway...Ahiru and Fakir, two of the main characters of the show, have been trying to help us out...but unfortunately so far it's been unsuccessful.**

**(Enter Fakir and Ahiru.)**

**Yugi: So? Any news? **

**Fakir: Well...he won't let her leave from his gap in time. But the good news is...I _think_ I've made a way of how to contact her. With the power we received from reading _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_, I was able to write a stanza that will allow her to visit here in spirit, since her body's trapped with Drosselmeyer.**

**(A see-through version of Kitty appears next to Fakir and waves at them excitedly.)**

**Kitty: Hey guys! I've really missed you! I still need to write back to Claire-chan! (pouts)  
**

**Atem: That's brilliant, Fakir!**

**Yugi: No, it's not! My Neko-chan's a ghost? (begins to cry)**

**Ahiru: (rushes to comfort the poor Yugi) **

**Fakir: (snorts derisively at Yugi) Baka, she's not a ghost. She's not dead.**

**Kitty: (makes the ballet mime for "love" to Yugi) My poor Yugi-chan...don't worry, darling, I'll be back soon! Someone's going to get me out!**

**Yugi: And who's that?**

**Kitty: Teddy Lupin! (very happy grin, turns to the audience) Well, don't worry, everyone! When Drosselmeyer wasn't controlling my muse, I was able to write this chapter for you...and now I can finally post it! I hope you like it, guys and gals! **

**Ahiru: (hesitantly, looking at Fakir questioningly) Um...R&R?**

**Fakir: (rolls eyes) Yes, moron, that's how you do it.**

**Ahiru: Oh, okay, good. R&R, everyone! **

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-Three:**_

_**From the Quill of Rita Skeeter**_

Rita Skeeter's article about Diana seemed to have spread like wildfire through the media. Apparently quite a few parents had sent letters to Dumbledore, either to ask to withdraw their children from school or to chastise him for allowing a "danger" like Diana to study amongst other students. Despite the Ministry's most determined efforts to try and ease concern about Diana's ability to restrain Artemis, there were still enough people concerned to persuade Madame Pomfrey to hold Diana in the Hospital Wing a little longer than normal to try and reassure the magical community.

Even in the Hospital Wing, though, Diana couldn't escape the barrage of fuss. She had learned to throw any unidentifiable mail she received immediately away, as all of them had been scathing letters filled with nasty curses and insults toward her family. One had even insulted Cedric, saying he should've been smart enough not to "fall prey to her bullying," and gone with someone else; Diana had watched that letter curl into flames in the fireplace wishing she was the fire to consume and destroy the person's hurtful words.

Hermione and Ginny visited Diana the following day, and they too were very angry.

"That Skeeter woman is the limit," Ginny growled furiously. "She didn't even bother to mention that Malfoy _provoked_ you!"

"And Artemis was a very powerful Dark witch," Hermione pointed out furiously. "All those people are acting like having to restrain her solely with mental energy is _nothing_!"

"Of course they are," Diana sighed, sorting through a pile of letters and throwing all those with unfamiliar addressees into a trashcan. "It's not like any of them have had someone besides themselves in their heads. Besides, with me being an uncontrollable monster, it makes my life a more exciting story in the _Daily Prophet_." 

Ginny scowled. "It's disgusting, I know."

There was a sudden creaking noise around the door that made all the girls turn around, just in time to see a red-haired, freckly face switch his expression from concerned to angry and then whip out of sight.

Ginny glared at the doorway. "That git."

Diana noticed Hermione looking down at her hands in her lap in a mixture of guilt and anger.

"What's up with Ron?" Artemis's Heir asked.

"He's jealous," Ginny answered at once.

Diana blinked. "_Jealous_?"

"He's mad that I went to the Yule Ball with Viktor," Hermione corrected Ginny bitterly, her cheeks pink with anger.

"_What_?" said Diana, her blue eyes narrowing. "I don't know what he's complaining about, it's not like he was without a date. And it's none of his business who you decide to spend time with."

"That's what Kara said," Ginny snorted in agreement. "It _shouldn't_ be, you're right…but it seems Ron believes it _is_ his business."

Diana glared at the doorway Ron had been standing just as Ginny had.

"_Really_…if he wanted to go out with you, Mione, he should've _asked_."

"_Dare_!"

* * *

Upon leaving the Hospital Wing, Diana was aware of being on the receiving end of more scathing and fear-filled looks than before. She wondered if everyone at school read Rita Skeeter: even some of those students who disbelieved the article about Harry seemed convinced of Diana's possible danger. Of course, Diana couldn't blame them…she probably looked terrifying at the Yule Ball. She felt awful that she scared everyone so much. 

Oddly enough, out of all of the Slytherins teasing her, Draco Malfoy was not one to join in the fun. Marik told her he'd been very quiet and reclusive since the Yule Ball, rarely speaking and instead having his silence be "translated," by his girlfriend Pansy Parkinson.

"It's weird, isn't it?" murmured the Egyptian thoughtfully. "I mean…I would've thought he'd been _delighted_ to be able to ruin you so much."

"Well…it might not just be _Artemis_ making Malfoy a little bit quieter," Yugi stated, a wry smirk winding onto his face.

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione.

Yugi laughed. "Neko-chan gave him a lesson about the consequences of teasing an ex-biker-chick…I think he got the message."

The others roared with laughter. Even Diana felt a little happier than she'd had most of the week.

The Japanese Muggles had been allowed to stay at Hogwarts until the end of January after Dumbledore had received a request from the Muggle Studies teacher to have them visit her class to help in some of her lessons. Of course, the Muggles were very honored by the request. Kara was getting a lot of attention for being a Muggle celebrity, but most popular of all was Joey. He really loved teaching the magical students how to use Muggle technology, even if it took a lot of time for some of them to understand that there were only buttons, and no incantation, to turn on a TV.

As soon as December was over, Diana noticed that the deadline for the Triwizard Second Task had almost magically appeared closer than it had before the holiday. What concerned her was that Harry still had no idea about how the golden egg from the First Task was supposed to help him in the Second. Harry hadn't told anyone this, particularly not the perfectionist research fiend Hermione, but Diana knew Harry well enough to tell he was a little stressed about it.

One day when Harry, Hermione, Ron and Diana accompanied Seto, Marik and Yugi in their Hogsmeade tour for Melisanne, Kara, Joey and Kitty, Seto voiced Diana's concern for the first time.

"Harry-kun…how has your research on the golden egg been going?"

"Oh," said Harry, taken aback by the suddenness of the question, "it's, uh…it's going fine! It's great. I…think I've nearly got it!"

He gave a smile that Diana saw as slightly forced; Seto likely saw the strain as well, but he seemed to think that if Harry wasn't going to ask for help, he wouldn't try and force it on him, and so accepted the answer. Kitty holding onto Yugi's arm, however, didn't seem to agree, and was about to open her mouth and pursue the topic, but their entrance into The Three Broomsticks had prompted a voice to call out,

"_Harry_!"

Ludo Bagman got up from one of the tables, where he'd been sitting with a tight-knit group of goblins, and moved toward Harry with a large grin on his boyish face.

"Harry, how _are_ you? I'd been hoping to run into you…perhaps I could have a quick word?"

"Um…okay," Harry answered awkwardly, before practically being pulled into a more crowded part of the pub away from the others.

"Seems awfully interested in Harry-kun, doesn't he?" inquired Kara, her dark brown eyebrows very high on her tanned forehead.

Joey frowned, not liking the look of the menacing goblins Bagman had been sitting with.

"That bunch he's with don't seem very _trustworthy_ to me, Yug…are you _sure_ he's a good guy?"

"_Bagman-sama_?" recurred Yugi, slightly surprised by Joey's distrust of him. "Oh, he's _fine_, Joey-kun…he's a pretty nice man."

"A little too fond of gambling and of not-so-innocent company, maybe," a voice agreed, "but otherwise good-natured."

Ryou and Luna apparently were also journeying the streets of Hogsmeade together; the albino's face were rather pink, but smiling, and Luna's grip around Ryou's arm did not go unnoticed by any of them.

"Hi, Ryou-kun," greeted Kara, before noticing Luna. "Oh, and you are…?"

"Luna," Ryou introduced his blond companion to the others. "I believe you know everyone, Yue-chan?"

"Oh yes," Luna assented, peering around at all of them with her wide blue eyes. "Yugi and Katherine have such bright hair…they, Seto and Melisanne and Marik and Takara are so loud behind closed doors…Ron and Hermione have such a track record of fighting…and Diana and Harry are both so loved by the media…it's rather impossible _not_ to know them."

Ryou, Diana, Harry, Joey and Marik laughed. Seto had turned very red at Luna's comment about him and Melisanne, and was currently trying to place his face into shadow so his embarrassment wasn't as apparent. Yugi and Kitty, who were also quite red but not bothering to hide it, grinned in response.

The group sat down at a large table toward the bar, and Marik ordered drinks from Madame Rosmerta. Seto and Melisanne shared butterbeer from a bottle with two straws; Joey teased Seto about learning his romance from cheesy Muggle chick flicks, and Seto gave him a very sharp, icy glare for it.

Finally Harry was able to pull away from Bagman and rejoin the party. He looked a little bothered.

"What did he want?" asked Ron at once.

"He wanted to help me with the golden egg," Harry replied.

Kara raised a dark brown eyebrow in confusion. "_Help_? But isn't he a _judge_ for this tournament you're in? And you said you're already nearly done working it out, ne?"

"Er…nearly," Harry assented awkwardly, but no one really paid a mind to his unease.

"Dumbledore-sensei wouldn't want you to cheat, Harry-kun," Yugi said firmly. "I'm really surprised Bagman-sama would offer something like that."

Hermione nodded, casting a reproachful look in Bagman's direction. "I hope he's offering Cedric, Fleur and Viktor help too, at _least_."

"Who cares about Krum?" demanded Ron.

At once both Hermione and Diana gave the Weasley such fierce looks, he deflated and hastened to change the subject.

"Those goblins don't seem like a good lot, do they? Did Bagman give a reason why they're here, Harry?"

"He said they were here looking for _Crouch_," Harry responded. "Apparently he's gone missing…Percy said he was ill and he's been sending instructions by owl…but the Ministry's been keeping it quiet."

"Is that what _everyone_ in power does?" Kitty laughed darkly. "Keep unsavory information under-wraps as to keep their public so uninformed they'll vote for them on the quality of their toupee instead of their policies?"

"Hear, hear," Luna agreed dreamily, raising her glass. "It really is tragic how corrupted governments can be…why, only just this morning, I was reading the _Quibbler_'s latest article on Cornelius Fudge and his funding toward programs that would pay goblins in Every Flavor Beans-"

Unfortunately at the moment before Luna could finish, the door opened, flooding the pub with a blast of cold snowy air, and Ron muttered an "uh oh" at who entered.

Rita Skeeter, in robes of banana-yellow and with nails painted a bright pink clutched over her crocodile-skin handbag, swept into the pub, accompanied by a paunchy photographer with a huge black camera around his neck. She strode toward the bar toward their table, talking very fast in a self-satisfied tone of voice.

"…Didn't seem very keen to talk, did he, Bozo? Now why would _that_ be, I wonder? And what on _earth_ is he doing with a bunch of _goblins_, I wonder? He's _always_ been a bad liar, _'looking for Mr. Crouch,' _indeed… Think we could do a bit of digging? _'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman'_…that's snappy, we _must_ find a story to put that in-"

"Trying to ruin someone _else's_ life, are you?" Harry snapped loudly, surprising Diana at his left by standing.

Several people turned around; Rita's eyes widened gleefully behind her jeweled spectacles when she'd turned to the source of the voice.

"_Harry_!" she greeted brightly, as if she couldn't be more delighted. "How _lovely_! Why don't you come and join-?"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick, Skeeter," he interrupted, his cheeks red with righteous anger. "What'd you write that stupid article about Dare for, anyway?"

"Harry," Diana took his hand, trying to persuade him to sit back down and forget about it, "don't try to-"

"Our readers have a right to the _truth_, Harry," Rita responded, her heavily penciled eyebrows raised high. "I'm merely doing my _job_."

"What, writing a bunch of crap to ruin someone's life?" Joey demanded, his voice like one picking a fight. "I would think you'd be _ashamed_ to have that as a profession."

"Joey-kun, _iie_-" Yugi dissented, he and Kitty also trying to make Joey cool down and not start a brawl.

"Who _cares_ if Dare's got Artemis in her?" Harry shouted at Rita, despite Diana trying to pull him back down into his chair. "It only happens once a month, and she's locked _away_ during it! She's the best friend any of us have ever had, it's all _Malfoy's_ damn fault that she-"

"_Harry_!" reproached Diana quite loudly, standing up beside him and tightening her grip around his arm. "We don't have to defend ourselves to this _cockroach_. It's not _worth_ it."

Rita's smile flickered ever so slightly; then she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out a bottle green Quick-Quotes Quill and answered in a less loud but still carrying voice.

"How about giving an interview about the Diana Randall _you_ know and love, Harry? The girl _behind_ the monster? Have you already thought of when you'll propose if you survive the Tournament, after your graduation from Hogwarts, perhaps? Have you worried about her aggressive nature possibly overpowering your future role as man of the house?"

Marik opened his mouth to speak, looking furious. Hermione's brown eyes flashed, narrowing into slits. Bakura shot into control and Luna had to practically stand on his foot and pull his arm to the floor to keep him from beating Rita to a pulp. To everyone's surprise, however, the one who looked angriest and responded to Rita was the normally quiet and calm Melisanne.

"You cruel woman," the Chinese woman murmured in a voice so quiet and yet succinct it was obviously dangerous. "You don't care about _anything_, do you? As long as you have your story, you don't care _who_ you hurt, just because you _can_. Taking advantage of readers by giving them a discrediting rag masquerading as truth, not _bothering_ to think that the people you're writing about have plenty of _other_ things to be concerned with!"

Rita's dark-lined eyes flared as they lay on Seto's girlfriend. "Muggles without knowledge of the needs of the magical community shouldn't go mouthing off about things they don't understand. And I've heard you Chinese are supposedly so respectful. Not _all_ of us can try and seduce a rich CEO to be his next _trophy wife_…so just bow out, little china doll, and don't reprimand me."

Seto raised a wand ready to hex the reporter, and Kitty moved forward preparing to punch her; Melisanne, however, raised her hands to stop both of them.

"Rita Skeeter, I'm afraid the most polite thing I can say to you," she answered in a steady voice, her crystal blue eyes as cold as Seto's quite often were, "is an old Chinese proverb… _'If your strength is small, don't carry heavy burdens; if your words are worthless, don't give advice.'_"

Hermione, Kitty and Joey laughed; Rita looked like she'd been slapped in the face, and was momentarily left speechless; Seto looked down at Melisanne in a fierce sort of pride, and offered his girlfriend a hand.

"Come on then, Crystal," the CEO said, not bothering to hide a sneer in Rita's direction, "we still have quite a bit left to see of Hogsmeade."

Melisanne gave Seto a happy smile, wrapping her arm around his as they swept past Rita and her photographer Bozo and out of the Three Broomsticks, followed closely by their friends.

"Melisanne, you are the greatest," Diana told her, grinning broadly.

Seto smiled down at his girlfriend, kissing the top of her head. "That she is."

Melisanne blushed.

* * *

**Fakir: The end?**

**Kitty: Of the chapter, anyway, yes.  
**

**Fakir: (sweatdrop, testy) Are you telling me that this story of yours has more of these stupid chapters?**

**Kitty: Why, yes. You as a writer must have written things with chapters.**

**Fakir: Baka, I write fairy tales. I have no need for chapters.**

**Kitty: (glares) Well, I can write fairy tales too! Watch this. "Once upon a time there was an ungrateful jerk who was in love with a duck who had once been a girl. One day an authoress decided to be nice to this jerk for reasons she did not understand, and she wrote her fanfiction, Swanheart. The end."**

**Fakir: (glares, blushing) You just have to bring up Swanheart, don't you?**

**Kitty: (smirk) Of course. Or do you want Ahiru to have never turned back into a girl?**

**Fakir: ...I hate you so much.**

**Kitty: (happy grin) Love you too, Fakir-senpai! **

**Fakir: (clearly very irritated as he wraps a protective arm around a clueless Ahiru)**

**Yugi: Oh, just as a reminder, everyone...if you want us to reply to your reviews and you don't have a fanfiction account, PLEASE PLEASE _PLEASE_ include an email address to write to you at! But yes...R&R!**


End file.
